Chronicles of Absolution: Solstice Beginnings
by Kirabaros
Summary: 3.08. Something is hiding at a ski resort in the Appalachians of Kentucky and the Winchesters and Co. are on the case once again but not everything is all for one and one for all and Sam is determined to make it right. Throw in a sprained ankle, a snowstorm and a familiar creature and maybe things work out after all.
1. Chapter 1

**Chronicles of Absolution: Solstice Beginnings**

**Chapter 1**

It was a usual walk towards the ice bins since the bucket was low. Angela held the bucket under her arm and walked like nothing was wrong in the world. There wasn't too much to be worried about since Hibah was sleeping safe and sound with Cerebus guarding her. There were also the wards and the pendant that Sherlock had modified. There really wasn't too much to worry about but it was a thing that was a constant with her. Tonight though, it wasn't.

Angela listened around her as she made it to the bins. It had been a while since she needed to get ice to suck on while she did her usual habits of reading at night before she went to bed. It was a comfort of sorts and one she knew she was clinging to like a comfort blanket. In fact she had buried herself into the care of Hibah and being a 'soccer mom', letting Sam and Dean do the jobs and occasionally bringing up the possibility of settling down in one place and devote full time to taking care of Hibah.

Angela opened up the bin and started shoveling ice into her bucket. Her thoughts were on the last couple of weeks and she didn't really pay attention to what she was doing. Shoveling ice was no brainer work anyway. She finally looked down when she realized that cold wetness of the ice didn't exactly feel right.

In the bin there was red, the distinct red of blood. She looked at her hand and noticed it was on her hand, both of them. For the first time in a long time, the sight of it made her speechless and she dropped the bucket and watched the bloody ice spill on the ground and she looked at the wetness on her hands.

"Funny how the past always leaves its marks… especially when it is paid in blood."

Angela looked up to see Ares looking smug. He was standing there in an expensive looking suit and with his arms crossed. She opened her mouth to say something when she saw someone. It was someone she was very familiar with. In fact she knew who it was well. She was looking at herself but it was different.

The double was giving a smile that was cold and not friendly at all. She was dressed in a fed suit, looking like she was a partner to Ares. She said, "Not even water can wash it away. The things we've done, the deals made… Makes you wonder where it begins and ends."

Angela felt her throat convulse. She recalled how Ares looked at her. She relived how they talked and eventually she agreed a favor for a favor in that Ares would protect Hibah's identity in exchange for a favor that could come at any time after Hibah's day of reckoning. To seal the deal was very much like a demon dealing a deal. It was a kiss and that was the most vivid of the images.

She saw herself kissing Ares. Her eyes were closed but the kiss was not one of reluctance. Ares took advantage of the situation and deepened it. She did nothing to stop it. Turning, she saw her double leaning on Ares and looking coyly at her…

Angela opened her eyes and took in the darkness of the room. She could see the first light of the morning start to reveal itself and she looked at her watch. It was roughly 6:30 in the morning. According to Sam, she slept in. Well there wasn't that much she could do about it since she was taking care of a child full time and while on the road. It didn't matter anymore anyway.

Looking down, she smiled as she spotted Hibah curled up with Boomer, her stuffed dog and snuggled under the blankets of the bed that they were sharing in the motel choice of the week. The last couple of weeks had been tiring since in addition to teaching Hibah the basics of reading and writing, Angela decided to teach her the basics of training in hand to hand combat or rather the art of self-defense.

The decision to teach Hibah how to defend herself was born out of the fact that she had made that agreement with Ares. While she knew Ares would keep his word since she had been diligent in the terms, she was aware that alliances and having the Guard at her disposal and Castiel had his ways; they weren't going to be enough. Ultimately she had to start teaching Hibah the basics and give her the means of getting away should it come to a point where she would have to put her life on the line to defend her habibitti.

Besides there was nothing else for her to do considering that things were tense enough. Angela knew that there was one thing that hurt worse than words. It was what wasn't said but shown through the expression. It hurt more this time around because she allowed it to hurt and she felt it was well deserved. Before she didn't care and she went through life not caring. Now that she did care, it was like that thing from proverbs about harsh words being like sword thrusts to the stomach but in this case it wasn't words but looks.

She didn't blame them really. She did subject them to a setup without bringing them in on the plan. She allowed herself to appear to be a prisoner and then agreed to being a Champion in a fight to the death and she actually delivered blows intended to kill. She got a few back in return but that didn't make anything better. In fact she was surprised that she found her stuff packed and being loaded into the Impala and Dean hollering for her to hurry up when they left Bobby's.

Taking a deep breath since sleep was going to elude her, she got up and made sure that Hibah was still warm. She knew the girl would continue to sleep for another hour minimum. She walked around to the foot where Cerebus was sleeping. He was instantly awake and she rubbed his head and said, "Good boy."

She was showered and dressed by the time Hibah woke up. For once Angela was glad that she insisted about the bath the night before. It saved the hassle in the morning in regards to getting ready for the day. She had witnessed enough of that coming from the boys.

Hibah sat up and rubbed her eyes as the sleep began to fade away. She spotted Angela in the chair at the table reading one of the books that held her fascination. She smiled and said, "Morning Ima."

Angela looked over at Hibah and smiled, "Good morning habibitti. Sleep well?"

"Uh huh," Hibah replied as she slid out of bed and padded on her feet towards Angela, holding Boomer. She rubbed her eyes a little with her free hand and asked, "What are we going to do today?"

Angela put a marker in her book and closed it. "Well I think Dean wants to move out today so we'll have to practice later when we stop. He wants to get on a case."

"Can I help?"

Angela smiled at that. Ever since Hibah became more articulate in her vocabulary, she had been particularly vocal in being involved more with the hunts. The girl loved to learn and she had especial interest in Angela's herb collection and how they could be used and she was a natural in learning self-defense. That was a given since she was the daughter of a warrior princess and she described it as a dance. "Well…"

"Please Ima," Hibah replied with a slight pleading tone.

Angela gave a slight chuckle. Hibah was also good with the puppy eyes and she was certain that she had picked that trait up from Sam. It was no wonder she was the bad guy since she was the one who gave out the discipline. "We'll see habibitti. You know how Dean is with the newspaper."

Hibah nodded in agreement, "Amitz doesn't like to be bothered. Abba uses the computer."

"Yes he does," Angela agreed softly. She stood up and stretched her limbs. "Well let's get dressed and see about getting breakfast. I don't know about you but I'm starving."

Hibah giggled. She found it funny that Angela would be starving. "Okay Ima." She put Boomer on the bed and with a quick rub on Cerebus' head, she grabbed the clothes that Angela had selected and went to the bathroom.

It wasn't too long since Hibah was quick and did everything the morning routine consisted of. She even had her teeth brushed. All that was left was her hair and she looked forward to that every morning since Angela would change her hairstyle daily to accommodate the thick locks that made up her shoulder length hair. She jumped on the bed and said, "Ready Ima."

Angela smiled as she brought the boar bristle brush that she used to brush Hibah's hair. She took her place behind Hibah and started brushing the long locks. "What do you feel like wearing today my little jewel?"

Hibah giggled at the pet name Angela used. She liked them a lot. She thought about it for a moment while Angela brushed her hair. "Mmm… how about like you?"

Angela raised her brow at that. Her own hair, since it was longer since it had grown over the past year, was swept up in a bun at the nape of her neck. In a fit of elegance, she let the shorter tendrils dangle in an artistic fashion. It was a typical style she employed when on hunts since having long hair did pose a danger to people yanking on it. Sometimes she made a braid.

In Hibah's case, a braid or a ponytail was typical. Even the little girl pigtails were something she tended to pick. It just seemed a little out of place to request that style. Angela couldn't help but ask, "Why habibitti?"

"I want to look like Ima."

The more Angela thought about it, she realized that she had picked out clothing that was similar to what she was wearing today. She must really be out of it to not notice that. Hibah made up for that since she was observant over most everything. She smiled and replied, "Alright sweetie," and continued to brush Hibah's hair.

With the ease of practice, Angela swept up the tail of the light brown hair and twisted it into a bun. It was a lot different doing it for someone else. She pinned the bun up and left a couple of the shorter hairs dangle. "How's that?"

It was met with approval and without further fuss, the pair set out of the room and headed towards the diner nearby. Hibah held onto Angela's hand and beamed at the world. It had Angela wonder about that since the girl had seen a few things over the past couple of weeks and yet it hadn't dampened her spirits or her innocence of the world. It had her worried a bit but she knew that she didn't need to make a big deal out of it. She figured that it had something to do with her mother's ability of seeing into the hearts and souls of man or some weird thing.

They passed by the Impala and the boys' room and Angela cast a slight glance in their direction. Normally she would have done a wakeup call or something but lately… it just didn't seem like a good idea; at least not at this time. Instead she continued towards the diner feeling rather sad at the decision she had come to.

"Ima, why are you sad?"

Angela looked at Hibah. "What do you mean?"

"You look sad."

Angela felt she had to deflect. Normally she strove to be honest with Hibah but there were some things that even she shouldn't be aware of. "I'm not sad. Just thoughtful."

"Don't lie, Ima," Hibah warned. She had stopped and looked at Angela. She gave a full on stare that would have constituted an angry look but it didn't quite look right. "You have been sad since we left Bobby's house. Why are you sad?"

Angela pursed her lips a moment. She couldn't burden a child with her problems but she knew that to deny anything would confirm she was a liar. She sighed and replied, "It's something between me and Sam and Dean. Nothing for you to worry about."

"Did Abba do something bad?"

"No habibitti," Angela replied. "He did nothing wrong. It's all right. Come on. It's time for breakfast."

It was a relief that Hibah was agreeable to that. Angela hadn't expected that line of questioning and she certainly didn't want to put anyone in an awkward position. She did the next best thing and changed subjects by mentioning the next lesson in self-defense. It worked as they finished the walk to the diner, unaware that someone was watching; someone with a concerned set of hazel green eyes.

* * *

The snowfall was picturesque. It was worthy of one of those Thomas Kincaid paintings since the cabin was tucked in the forest and the powdery snow was sprinkled on everything. Even the animals that decided to brave the elements were picturesque. It was all that Melanie Banks could help for and she couldn't believe that her fiancé Don Kirkwall went to all the expense of getting this place for their winter getaway. It was like a dream come true.

Melanie looked out as the snow fell, reminding her like the snow globes that her sister liked to collect. This really was a beautiful place and she was just happy to be there. She was glad that she decided to move to a place that had regular snowfall like the family home. Snow made her feel happy and it was on a ski run that she met Don. That was another thing that she liked about this cabin. It was close to the ski lift for people who didn't want to stay in the resort. It was romantic.

"Hey, babe. Like what you see?"

Melanie smiled as Don's arms wrapped around her. "I do. I can't believe you were able to get one of the cottage suites at this time of year."

Don smiled a bit as he kissed her cheek. "Oh I pulled a few strings."

"Meaning that you bribed Larry again," Melanie teased, knowing that was pretty much what Don did when it came to the resort.

Larry was in charge of the resort that he bought a few years back. He and Don had been buddies in college and they kept in touch over the years. Larry offered the resort for the wedding after proudly accepting to be the best man. Occasionally they appealed to each other for a favor with Don asking for cabin space for a vacation or two at a discounted rate and Larry asking legal advice since Don was an ex-Marine now hotshot attorney. It was always a source of jokes between the three of them to the extent those two would ask for favors from each other.

Don laughed at that. The latest 'bribe' was actually going out and teaching Larry the finer points of marksmanship for hunting. Recently his old college buddy expressed an interest in hunting and said it was a means of relaxation. Don found it to be rather strange but then again Larry had always been the one that was the strange one. It balanced out Don's cautious nature which was why they stuck with being friends long after they left college.

Don continued to chuckle and replied, "Well I did agree to teach him how to shoot."

Melanie frowned a bit at that. She had met Larry at the engagement party and he didn't strike her as the type to be hunting out in the woods for deer or whatever other creature was in season. IN fact he was more like a hippie type and didn't look like the guy that ran a big time ski resort that was very popular with recreational and professional skiers. "Why would he want to learn that?"

"Had me baffled too but he was insistent and asked if lesson number one would be tomorrow."

Melanie thought about it and while it sounded rude that Larry would interrupt on their getaway, she couldn't help but wonder if he had peeked at the schedule that she set up with the spa. She replied, "Well I guess he's lucky that I made an appointment at the spa for tomorrow. You both go and have fun." She gave a smile to show that she meant it.

"You sure? I can always tell Larry that I'll come on a weekend. He knows I don't welch on a trade," Don replied as he looked at fiancé's profile since he was standing behind her. He wanted this getaway as much as she did. Larry could wait.

"I'm sure. You'd be bored having to wait all day in the spa for me," Melanie replied. She turned to look at Don and gave him a kiss. "Besides I know that you are an honorable man. My Marine and I know he doesn't turn his back on his friends and Larry is an old friend." She really did understand and while she couldn't understand this latest request, she wouldn't begrudge Don that time with his friend. Since he had been working so much, he needed a break.

"You're the best Mel," Don replied as he returned the kiss with one of his own. "And you're right: I would have been bored. I don't think chatting to ladies about the color of nail polish for my toes is an interesting conversation." He smiled saucily at Melanie and he prepared for the eventual retaliation that would follow.

It came as Melanie swatted at Don's arm replying, "That's not what we do."

"Right. You gossip about who's seeing who," Don teased.

Melanie squealed in indignation as she grabbed a pillow from the nearby couch and threw it at Don. She then began chasing him through the cabin. The rest of the night was spent teasing and chasing throughout the cabin and ended well into the night.

The next morning Don was waiting for Larry while his old friend finished up his usual business with the resort. It appeared that there was a professional skier on site with a camera crew. Apparently it was a shootout for an advertisement of new ski gear or something. Don was a recreational skier and tended to stick with what worked. He was good with his money even though he was a well-paid attorney now. Besides his upbringing and experiences taught him to be frugal and he could never justify having the need for the latest gadgets. So he made do with what he had unless it was necessary.

He didn't have long to wait for Larry to come out. He was dressed for the weather since it was cold for the day even with the sun out and he had two hunting rifles. He asked his friend, "You're sure about this Larry? Do you even have a permit or something?"

Larry handed one of the rifles to Don. "I'm sure about this Don. I was thinking of expanding for a shooting range and I want to see if the area I have in mind is a good one."

Don supposed that was a good enough reason but even he was suspicious about this. He wasn't completely familiar with zoning laws as well as firearms and the like and he was a lawyer. He really couldn't find anything wrong with it since it was Larry's property and the direction they were taking was well away from the guests of the resort so there was little chance of running into a guest a possible accident occurring. "You want to make a shooting range?"

"Normally I would 86 the idea but a couple of past guests have been asking about something like it and it might keep up a steady business flow once the snow it gone besides the nature hikes," Larry replied with a shrug of his shoulder.

"Okay but you do realize that I was trained as a Marine to shoot at people right?" Don asked his friend as a partial joke but also to emphasize that he wasn't a hunter.

"Yeah I know," Larry replied as he took the lead up the trail that led them away from the main resort.

Don didn't say anything more but followed Larry through the trail. The walk was hard but nothing he hadn't done before as a Marine. Occasionally he still went on hikes but trudging on a trail covered with snow was a bit different. Still he made a promise and he would teach Larry the finer points of shooting a rifle but the whole business had him a bit uneasy.

There were a couple of good places to practice and Don pointed them out but Larry said that where he wanted it was further up. Don followed but he was getting wary. The sounds of the forest were not as they were supposed to be. In fact it was getting quiet… too quiet for his liking and his gut was telling him that he may be walking into something that was not necessarily a good thing. He ventured, "Larry?"

Larry looked around. He noticed that the forest was becoming quieter. So he did manage to find it. He just hoped that they would be able to get rid of the damn thing. It was probably the worst thing he could do to Don and to have him come along… but Don was always the better shot. While he may not look like it, Larry had taking some lessons and more out of a necessity due to the discovery he made when he took over the place and made some changes. "Almost there Don."

Don wasn't so sure. His gut was telling him that something was up and Larry knew something but wasn't talking. He stopped in his tracks and said, "Larry, is there something going on?"

Larry stopped and looked at Don. "No."

"Larry we're friends. As far as I know, you've never been into hunting and guns. What gives? Are you in trouble?"

Larry studied his friend. It was true that he nearly told everything that was going on in his life but the last few years, things have been… different. Yet he knew that he was taking Don into danger and he shouldn't have. He replied, "It's not trouble really. More of a cleanup job."

"Are you intending to shoot someone cause you know I can't let you do that," Don replied. His mind automatically went to the worst possible thing and even though Larry was his friend, he was going to follow the law.

"It's not a someone but a something."

Don frowned, "So you really are hunting?"

"Yes," Larry replied. This was going to be difficult. He wasn't even sure that Don was going to believe him. He had to try and explain though. "Donnie, there is something out here that has been after a few of my customers. I didn't notice since I thought they were welchers and skipped out on paying for the rooms and they were always the loners. Then I looked deeper. This place has always had a few missing guests a year or so."

"So you are hunting a serial killer."

"It's not that Donnie," Larry replied. He gave a slightly exasperated sigh. "You're not going to believe this but the thing that has been killing the guests is…"

He was interrupted by a roaring sound. Larry looked around. They were not within the area that he had cordoned off which meant that they were in big trouble. He said, "Donnie, run and head back."

"Larry…"

"Run!"

At that moment Don saw something bound out in a fast blur. It was hideous looking and he had never seen anything like it before. It was instinct to bring up his gun but Larry pushing him to run had him stop. He followed until something landed on his back and he fell. He collided with Larry and they rolled down the hill. The last thing Don remembered was hearing Larry say he was sorry before he passed out from the blow to the head.

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like things are starting off with a typical routine. Little Hibah is now six in her appearance and it looks like something is camping out in the mountains at a ski resort. Starting off with a mild bang I guess but stay tuned for more on Solstice Beginnings...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Come on Ceebee, you can do it!"

Angela chuckled as she sat watching Hibah play with Cerebus in the nearby park. As it turned out, the day was theirs since there was nothing new going on. Nothing that suggested another case, which was a good thing on her end but she could tell that it was trying Dean's patience. It was that evident when they joined her and Hibah for breakfast in the diner.

Normally Hibah sat by Angela and Sam would sit next to Dean. This time Hibah wanted to sit by herself across from Angela and the seating ended up being that Dean sat next to Hibah and Sam had his usual spot next to Angela. Hibah had smiled big when she got her Amitz to sit next to her but Angela suspected that the girl was manipulating the situation. She should nip it in the bud but she could see that it was harmless.

It allowed her read the paper she had grabbed and she found nothing to pique interest but she quietly slid it over to Dean when he came in and starting on her coffee like it was a lifeline. It made for an easy escape and the decision for Hibah to have a fun day instead of a lesson though she wasn't going to get out of reading or writing. Currently she was trying to get Cerebus to go after the stick she was throwing. It was rather hilarious to see a prize bitch of hell playing fetch with a now six year old girl who could probably make things appear if she wanted.

Idly Angela watched Hibah play her game and thought back in time to other children she had met all the way back to when she was a child and playing in the mud even though her mother tried to make her into a little lady. She remembered one time she actually whipped a childhood friend and he was the one that was covered from head to toe and she only got a few splotches on her dress. It had her mother mildly scolding her but she was laughing.

Even when she was a child she had been different from the others. She had been given a noble boy's education meaning the whole Latin and Greek and had been taught the arts of a noble lady which were music, dancing and embroidery. Now here she was teaching Hibah, who wasn't hers and yet she acted like it, and she was teaching her the reading, writing and arithmetic. That was normal stuff but then it got into the weird stuff by teaching Hibah how to use her abilities responsibly and on top of that, teaching her the basics in hand to hand combat and the scary thing was that she was a natural at it.

_Funny how things are actually the same._

It was a gentle musing that was rather funny at the fact that a simple thing could be repeated but there were different ways of telling the story. Angela watched Hibah who was now trying to make Cerebus into her steed and actually succeeding. For once she was grateful that the hell mutt was abnormally large since she was sure that any normal dog would have collapsed by now at the paces the girl was putting him through but he had affection for her; like she was his pup to protect.

"Ima look!"

Angela gave a nod at the sight, "I see you. What are you doing?"

"Charging like Sir Wesson in the battle against the wolves."

Angela made a slight smile at that. She had been telling the story of the case at the Academy but changed it to the fairy tale realm. It probably wasn't a good idea since it traversed close to the truth of the life she led but Hibah enjoyed it with the fairy tale twist to it. Castiel had been around a couple of times and had been thoughtful the whole time she told the next chapter in the story. "Okay habibitti. Go and rescue the healer," she replied with a chuckle.

Hibah took off with Cerebus and started to play her game. Angela sighed in contentment when a familiar looking cup came into her vision and a very familiar smell hit her nostrils. She breathed in the scent of coffee, black. She hesitated at accepting it slightly and looked up to see Sam holding it out to her. Slowly she closed her hand around it and took it. "Thank you."

Sam studied Angela for a moment before taking the seat next to her. It had been like this ever since they left Bobby's, after that thing with Ares. It was like she was nervous being around him and Dean and decided that the best policy was to say as little as possible. It made it hard to talk to her about anything and even ask her advice on the hunts they've had the past couple of weeks.

_Sam, go ask her what's up._

_ Why don't you?_

_ Because I'm older and… you're the only one that she opens up to._

Sam wasn't too sure about that since she had been just as close mouthed with him as she was with Dean. Still it took a lot for his brother to admit that there was something that he couldn't do. Of course Sam thought it complete bullshit since he had seen them talk and she did explain why she did what she did with Ares and even she had been surprised at what the god did. Sam figured that it had more to do with the fact that it bothered her more than she cared to admit that she actually hit him and meant it and given the reaction that Dean had when she explained her learning how deals were made and the like; it was a pretty good reason. It was probably why she was going to offer to stay behind with Hibah with the excuse of a stable environment or some crap like that.

At least she didn't treat them like lepers. She always went about doing stuff for them but never going beyond the call of duty so to speak. It occurred to Sam that it was her way of giving the injured party space but the vague thought that she was afraid of any potential hurting words that came her way was a possibility. It sounded ridiculous since she had worse shot her way and she took it like it was nothing but it wasn't improbable. She was a person too.

Sitting beside her in the diner, he had to admit that it felt like the usual and he had missed that since she had put Hibah between them. They were in the same proximity and he missed her and he could tell Dean did… like he would ever admit that in public. Now that he was sitting beside her on the bench, it felt comfortable and he hoped that it would bode well. He looked at her and asked, "So, today's a free day?"

Angela smiled and said something that Sam was certain was either Japanese or Chinese. He was relieved when she followed with, "Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. All children need to play sometime." She paused a moment before adding, "I doubt that she will be given that much when she goes to Karnak."

"Karnak?" It was a small piece of the wedge but Sam took it and hopefully could get to the bottom of this.

"The place where I was trained with Wosret," Angela explained. She took a sip of the coffee Sam brought and continued, "It's where Hibah and Wosret would… should've been together. It was a sanctuary. It reminded me of home."

"Italy?" It was a guess on Sam's part since he assumed that she had been a nomad for most of her life.

Angela smiled softly as she replied, "A bit but I was referring to the abbeys that my father and I stayed in. I missed Mother often but there was something about those old abbeys… Then I came to Karnak and stayed for a time. It was different but the feelings were the same."

Sam nodded at that. He could see how easy it was to forget that she was a person like anyone else. It was taken for granted that she knew the wandering life and that was all. "This Karnak sounds nice."

"You don't need to try so hard Sam," Angela replied gently. She turned to look at him and gave a slight smile, "Karnak is a sanctuary and one of many that dot the world and where the children of gods go to learn and study until they are of age and then they take their place within their pantheon. They are real places and some have actually been written in stories like Shangri-La."

"Shangri-La?"

Angela chuckled, "Yes, it is real. Camelot too."

Sam looked at Angela to see if she was teasing him or being serious. Her expression indicated that she was serious. Yet the idea sounded absurd. "So these places are where god children are raised?"

"Yep and humans too." Angela nodded as she said it. She took another sip of her coffee. "They are designed as refuges for temples and worshippers. For a god, the worst death is to be forgotten so in a way it is a failsafe and a good means of protection for the children. It also slows down their age rate here so it is less noticeable. Of course for humans it could like months in a place like Karnak but only hours to days here. Still it was an experience."

"So the reason Hibah is aging so fast is because she's not within one of these sanctuaries?" Sam knew that this conversation was going as far away from his intended conversation but he couldn't help but ask. It made him wonder if she sensed when he wanted to talk and then would tailor the conversation to suit her purposes. It certainly was something she could do and did when she wasn't so glaringly obvious.

"Yes and I have no idea how long it would be in the realm of the gods in terms of time converting," Angela replied. She was aware that she was steering the conversation in a direction that Sam didn't want to go into. She did it anyway mostly because it felt like a good day and she didn't want to mar it with accusations and harsh words that they would both regret and then have Hibah ask about it in that awkward timing of hers.

What Sam knew of time was only what Dean had told him after he went on his time jump to the seventies and he saw their mom. It wasn't much of a stretch to go into what Angela just told him and it was done by supernatural means though he was familiar with the sci-fi version in terms of the concept of time and the like. "So it's like linear progression or something?"

"Yes it is Planet of the Apes in supernatural fashion. Of course a lot of the things we have learned through the millennia are old discoveries renewed… like that battery and the laser."

"Batteries and lasers?"

Angela chuckled since she knew she was getting into territory that the Apkallu would be the experts on. It was history though. "The world's oldest batteries were discovered in Babylon. It's the vinegar and electricity thing with the rod and the jars. The laser involves the power and use of the ruby. It's like anything that we have today. The branches of study are discovered, forgotten and rediscovered."

It was getting a little ridiculous but then again Sam always learned something new when he talked to Angela. Even if it was serious, he learned something new about her. At least she was talking again. Maybe she missed this too.

"I know it's useless but that's how life works I think. I was just sitting here and remembering the same things Mother taught me and the things I did at Hibah's age." Angela beckoned with her head as she watched Hibah who was now talking to a boy and it appeared that they were agreeing to a game of sorts.

Sam noticed it too. Immediately his first response was, "Should she be playing with the kid?"

"Why not?"

"Um her abilities," Sam began a bit lamely. Even though she wasn't looking at him, he felt that she was giving a scrutinizing look that said nothing but it was left up to interpretation. "She's not a normal human kid."

"I know," Angela replied calmly as she continued to watch. She watched as Hibah handed a stick to the boy and ran to sit behind Cerebus who was standing there panting but looking pleased at the playtime he was getting. She recognized this part well from the bit of the story she had told Hibah the night before. "It is just playing Sam. No harm will come of it."

"I know just…"

The discussion would have continued but Hibah and the boy who was named Aaron came up. Hibah asked about what ice cream was since Aaron asked if she wanted one. That led to a couple of laughs and Sam and Angela being dragged to a vendor where Hibah had her first ice cream. Sam couldn't help but smile at that and could see where Angela was getting with letting Hibah play with the Aaron kid and he could appreciate the effort that Angela was making to make sure that Hibah knew enough to understand people since the few gods he met, aside from a few, were douches.

It was enough to end the conversation and actually enjoy being in Angela's company as the kids finished their play. It was a good thing though that Dean wasn't around since the Aaron kid's mom came up and commented on how too few times she had seen both parents spend time together with their kids and she indicated how happy Hibah looked when she grabbed his neck in a hug. Dean would never have let him live it down but it seemed to perk Angela up a little but even he knew that the whole thing was far from over.

* * *

"So we were thinking of heading out tomorrow and seeing what the next town would bring us. That okay?" Dean looked across the table at Angela who was fully devoted to what the diner called peas and a piece of paper with writing on it. He looked over at Sam who was looking at her and then he went back to eating his rabbit food of a salad with the same devotion.

"Whatever you say, Dean," Angela replied softly. She spooned up a bit of peas and put them in her mouth.

It was a frustrating answer since she was talking in that maddening calm tone of voice that could piss someone off or talk someone down. It seemed that the conversation she had with Sam didn't amount to anything but he had to admit that they had come in talking, maybe not animatedly but she had a smile on her face. He tried again, "Are you sure? I know you have your lesson plans but…"

"It's fine Dean," she interrupted calmly. She had looked up to look at Dean and reiterate that she was fine with it. "I know you're itching for a case. Better to move on and try and catch one." She then went back to eating her peas.

"And here I was thinking that you'd want to stay. Certainly seemed to want that a couple of weeks ago," Dean replied, ignoring the look Sam was shooting at him. He was risking a lot by bringing that up in front of Hibah.

"A courtesy," Angela replied as she put her silverware down. "It seemed the right thing to do at the time. You decided against it." She finished in a matter of fact tone that left little room for arguments there.

It was a good thing since her phone rang. Giving a final look at Dean, Angela fished her cell phone out and looked at the caller ID. There was no name but a number she didn't recognized. It could have been that someone switched phones and forgot to transfer the phone book over or however they did that. She did know that she only gave out her number to people that she trusted so it could be someone she knew. She looked at them and said, "Excuse me."

She answered the phone the moment she was halfway to the door of the diner, "Hello?"

_I would think you would be more prompt in answering the telly the moment it rang. Or were you spending too much time with the Nanny?_

Angela gave a slight smile as she walked to stand outside the door. "Nice to hear from you too Sherlock. Checking up again on your shields?"

_As if I need to do that._

"You are checking up on them. I didn't know you cared considering you wanted me to get lost when I first brought her to you," she replied with a grin. She loved teasing her librarian friend since he never associated with the word friend. "Just to let you know, they are fine. She thinks the necklace is a present from Uncle Sherlock."

_I highly doubt that 'it' would be able to know that and it was you that put it on her. I merely made the improvements._

Angela chuckled as she heard Sherlock huff at the other end. She was going to have to stop soon. If he got too flustered he would hang up. Besides, he only called if it was something serious and to check in per their agreement. "I know and I appreciate it. Tell me, do you have something for me?"

_Your tone is something to be desired dragon lady but in response to your question, I do have something for you and of your usual repertoire._

"Meaning that it's a job."

_Well I see your deduction skills have improved._

"Only because I have a very interesting teacher," Angela allowed in a slightly patronizing voice. "So what is it?"

_I was contacted by an old associate who left the business to work at a resort. Actually he rather owns the place. Some merry little hamlet in Kentucky that's open during the ski season. Seems that he has a little pest problem._

"What? Are you talking about werewolves or Lupei? Sounds about the right conditions at least for Lupei since there's the Appalachians," Angela asked as she wracked her brain since it seemed Sherlock was going to pay her back by making her guess.

_Not those kinds of pests._

"So vamps, ghouls…" Angela made a motion with her hands as if that would help in terms of finding out what it was.

_He wasn't sure but whatever it is, it has been picking off guests._

Angela frowned at that. It almost sounded like a vengeful spirit. Those usually had a specific target group for the whole thing they did. It could be a chupacabra but then again it was a little cold for one. They typically inhabited the southwest and Latin American countries and they sucked the blood of livestock. "Something specific like a vengeful spirit?"

_The bugger wouldn't say anything. Still has a bit of denial in him even though he helped on that vengeful spirit case while you were off gallivanting with the Nanny._

"It's Sam," Angela automatically corrected. It was an old habit. "So it's not a spirit and I haven't heard of anything regarding the abominable snowman."

_I don't think you have to worry about the yeti. The majority of them are in the mountains of Nepal. You know that. This might be something else._

"Can you give me more?"

_The owner is Larry Thompkins, nice bloke and more your type though not as tall as the Nanny. He noticed that a few of his guests left without paying the bill. They were mostly loners and he figured that they were drifters and used to skipping out on the bill. So they turned up missing but then Larry finds a few things that make him think that it's not skipping out._

"Let me guess: something big dragged them away like a bear?"

_No need to be sarcastic. Anyway the last guest taken, he saw the thing but he said it moved too fast for him to catch. He did say that he saw claws._

That had Angela thinking. There were several species she could name based on that description alone. The trick was narrowing it down to a single thing and then it was easy to get what was needed to kill the bastard.

_Of course the fool decided to go hunting for it. At least that was what he planned on doing. He must have otherwise I wouldn't have gotten a call from the place._

"He tried going after it?" Angela was a little incredulous at that. As far as she could tell, this guy had been on only one hunt. That didn't make him a hunter. It made him lunch with a name. Still she couldn't fault the guy for trying. After all he was trying to keep his guests safe.

_Of course he did? Has your hearing gone as well as your usual good sense? Anyway I get a call from a very confused fellow by the name of Atkins and he said that they had been hiking up a trail away from the resort and then this thing attacked them. He got away but the doctors think that he's addled due to the concussion he sustained in the fall._

"So then your friend Larry must have tracked it… whatever it was. He was probably taking a friend up there so he had backup to shoot it."

_Very good. I knew you were always superior in your deduction abilities when they are not concentrating on something mundane as taking care of 'it' or moping because of the Nanny and his promiscuous sibling._

Angela resisted the urge to correct Sherlock but he was right about Dean. She understood why he would call Sam a nanny but it seemed like it was another dig at his masculinity and he got enough of that from Dean. Sherlock's sarcasm was in full bloom and part of it was her fault for teasing him but she wouldn't have the manic depressive librarian any other way. "Okay so the guy Atkins is okay but what about your friend? Did he make it out?"

_Larry is an old associate. There is a difference you know. As to answering your probie questions, the authorities didn't find a trace of Thompkins from where the poor sod Atkins said they fell. They did manage to find a rifle and that was the one Atkins had. Other than that… nothing._

"Okay so there is the assumption that Larry is missing but Atkins may have information that we may need to solve this."

_Knowing you, you'll take it._

"I have to run it by my guys first and there is Hibah to take care of."

_Ah yes, being mother always suited you and you still find time to jump on a case. Run it by the rat pack and then give me a call. You're not the first choice._

Angela pursed her lips in a wry grin. She knew the librarian didn't mean a word of it. He just wasn't big on showing his feelings for people. She had learned quickly to discern what he truly meant when he hurtled an insult in her direction. Well it was a compliment mingled with an insult. She could just imagine the day when she would probably have to introduce the librarian to the Winchester boys. She replied, "And I'm not the last either. This your new number?"

_Yes. I figured I'd leave you wondering who was calling you by leaving off the caller ID. I would have loved to have seen your face._

"I bet you would, bloody librarian," Angela retorted in her usual fashion. She listened to the rough laughter on the other end as he hung up. She made a slight face that was a cross between annoyed and amused.

It really was up to the boys if they wanted to take it. She knew that Dean was chomping at the bit for one and she also knew that Hibah would renew her campaign to help out on the case. She had already gotten a taste for it by doing research that was highly supervised and the girl was clever enough to point out that she was practicing her reading and writing. Putting her phone into her pocket, she went back into the diner to find that the plates had been cleared and Hibah was enjoying her second ice cream for the day along with some pie. She was going to have her hands full.

Taking her seat next to Sam, she crossed her arms and said, "That was one of my old contacts. Thinks he has something for us."

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like Sherlock is back and he hs a job for the Winchesters and Co. Stay tuned for more on Solstice Beginnings...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Is it just me or is she just giving us this case to leave her alone?"

Sam looked up from the book he was reading to see his brother Dean working himself up into a frenzy as he finished packing. His stuff was already done since he knew it was a matter of time before Dean made the executive decision to pick up and move and he knew that acting relaxed often annoyed Dean more and sometimes that was entertaining. Mostly though his thoughts were on the fact that the phone call that had the case for them seemed to perk up the subject of Dean's rant and that made things good from his view. Knowing that Dean was expecting some sort of answer, he replied, "Does it really matter?"

Dean paused in his packing to look at his brother with a discerning eye. He suspected something was up and replied, "It does matter Sam. Lately she's been dropping hints of staying in one place with Hibah. Don't you think that it's more than coincidence?"

"Right because she's devious enough to come up with a plan to, your words, ditch us," Sam replied as he put the marker he made of an old receipt to hold his place. It was a book he had received the Christmas before Dean went to hell from Angela.

"Hey, I admit that she's good with planning. That's her thing, Sam and damn good at playing whatever role she assumes."

"She's been on the job longer than the two of us put together," Sam replied, tolerating this but not liking where it was going.

"Yeah," Dean replied, realizing that Sam was talking him down. "But come on. You got to admit that she has been wanting to stay behind with Hibah. Could be a mom thing."

Sam sighed. He wasn't going to get back to his reading any time soon so he might as well come out and say it, "Did it ever occur to you that she's doing this for you?" When Dean shot him a look, he continued, "I think she's noticed you chomping at the bit for another case. Just because she's not talking much doesn't mean she hasn't stopped doing what she's always been doing."

"That is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard Sam. Finding a case just to please me?" Dean made a slight scoffing sound. That was like really weird and he just didn't buy it. Sam was overthinking things again.

"Yeah," Sam replied with a raised brow. His voice rose slightly to convey that he was amazed that his brother knew Angela for as long as he did and still didn't get it.

"That is plain weird."

"It is not," Sam retorted. "Think about it. She sees the world differently and most everything she does is for someone else. She rarely does anything for herself… and the basics don't count. That's a necessity." He had seen his brother getting ready to protest and had cut him off before he began. "She sees something broken, she wants to fix it."

"Not lately. She hasn't even popped the hood on my baby."

Sam rolled his eyes and stood up. "Look at the bigger picture, jerk. She's doing something nice for you. If she suggests staying behind, more likely it is for you and the practicality of keeping Hibah safe. There plain and simple. Don't… don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

Before Dean could say anything in reply, Sam picked up his book and opened the door to the room. He paused a moment to say, "When you want to move out, give me a call." He was then out the door, leaving Dean to stew for a moment.

Sam didn't mean to sound snippy but he was still bothered by the fact that while he and Angela talked it wasn't a resolving of whatever was going on. Her quiet manner was bothersome in that it was like she was just going through the motions. There was nothing wrong with her manners, which were polite even when she was pissed. Shouting was not in her vocabulary unless she was pushed to the extreme and even then she would speak in that low, cold tone. He figured that it was something else.

Walking and holding his book, Sam muddled through it. The only thing he could think of was the whole thing with Ares and the fact that she sort of made a deal with him. While he knew that dealing with a demon was bad, he couldn't see what made dealing with a god bad. Well he could take that back since it was Ares and he did have a manner that just made him a complete bastard. That led to the memory of watching how he touched her.

It had taken much effort not to rush in there and punch him. He couldn't anyway since he was holding Hibah at the time and she was tired by that time and ready to fall asleep. In his opinion the guy was on the same level as the scum that thought she was a piece of cheap meat that walked into a bar and he was a god. Then again he used to think highly of angels and they ended up being total douchebags or dicks with wings or… whatever the colorful description that Dean could come up with at the time. Reality could be a letdown at times.

It also had bothered him that Angela's reaction was not how he had seen her react. It had him wondering what else had gone on while she was with Ares. He knew it was none of his business and it was her life with whom she wanted a relationship with but he thought she could do better. She deserved it since she asked for so little in return for being who she was. No it was something else but Sam's gut was telling him that it was tied to the whole thing with Ares.

He was certain because the last two weeks, the hunts were nonstop… well it seemed that way… but Angela managed to set a pace that wouldn't tire out Hibah or throw off her sleep cycle. Most of them were run of the mill stuff, mostly salt and burns and they had driven him crazy since Hibah had taken to asking if she could help.

That alone had him worried. He had never seen a kid get so animated about ganking a vengeful spirit. Hell she hadn't been afraid to stand up to the enforcer that was after her when Ares dropped by. Sam had always known that she wasn't going to be normal since that was given with the god-angel abilities but she had feelings like everyone else. It was like she was already choosing her life before she was old enough to understand it. It escaped him that Angela did tell him that godlings were considered adults at the age of nine.

It did occur to him that may have been a reason but not the reason for Angela wanting to stay behind. Of course with her being polite to both him and Dean, it was hard to pinpoint what the problem was. At least when she was mad with one of them she let them know it. Hell he had pissed her off more times than he could count and half the time he could admit that he was being a douche at the time and one of those times almost got her killed. It was a vicious cycle and Sam wondered if this was what she tortured herself with since she had several centuries' worth of the same thing and she kept it all buried.

Sam had been walking when he realized that he had passed the door to the girls' room. He was tempted to knock and say hello but decided against it. Of course that was only prolonging the situation which could end up exploding in his face sooner or later. Sighing he turned away, and that was when he caught a glimpse of something.

As he edged closer, he could make out the familiar silhouette of Angela sitting on the grass and she was looking up. It had been a while since he had seen her stargaze. Well that wasn't exactly true since she sort of did it on her birthday when he bought her cake and she teased him horribly on his choice of cake design. He had taken it though more pleased that she seemed happy since the last time… then again it wasn't too different. Seeing her there now, Sam felt happy for her since she seemed content. It was then that he realized that she wasn't alone.

Upon closer inspection, Sam made out Hibah's little frame sitting in Angela's lap and looking up with her. It actually looked like one of those picture perfect moments. Angela was showing Hibah constellations and Sam had a brief prayer of hoping that she wasn't teaching Hibah the dirty rhyme version of them. Some of them still made him blush though the astrological signs were the worst and he was surprised that Dean still hadn't figured out that she was making fun of him with his sign. Drifting back to the picture he was viewing, Sam couldn't help it and pulled out his cell phone and took a picture. He definitely was going to save this one.

He was in two minds about joining them but in the end, decided to go for it and came up, trying to be quiet. "Hey… uh… what are you doing?"

Hibah was the first to speak, "Ima is showing me the stories in the stars. She says the stars can say many things." She was beaming up at Sam, pleased that she remembered what she had just learned and was eager to show it off.

Sam glanced at Angela who was giving a slight smile at Hibah's choice of words and then back at the little girl who jumped up to greet him. "She did?" He, like everyone else, had given up on trying to teach the little girl different.

Hibah nodded, her enthusiasm growing, "Yeah. Ima says that the old people lotsa years yesterday used to be able to read them and tell stories about people."

Sam raised his brow at Angela who merely replied, "Just telling her stories. The stars do have a bunch of them to tell." She gave a teasing grin.

Seeing the grin was like a relief to Sam. She hadn't been in a teasing mood for a while and to see her having some modicum of fun… it was a step in the right direction in his mind. He replied, "I'm sure they are age appropriate."

"Most assuredly considering that there are some innocent ears here and not so innocent ears that still blush," Angela teased in a low voice.

To Sam it almost sounded husky but it wasn't. It was her thing of late to speak in a low and quiet voice. It was the one he thought was designed to purposely either piss someone off or calm them down. A pretty handy thing considering the types of people they met. He couldn't control the blushing though since she mentioned it. "Well good for that," he managed.

"Pleasure," Angela replied still smiling.

Hibah had been watching the interaction until her attention was distracted by the book Sam was holding. She asked, "What's that Abba?"

Sam's focus on the conversation with Angela was broken when Hibah's voice piped up. He looked down and remembered that he had been carrying the book he had been reading. He looked at it and stuttered slightly but Angela saved him, "It's just a book, habibitti. You know how Abba likes to do research."

Sam shot Angela a look which was graced by that teasing smile that drove him crazy. She knew full well what it was since she was the one that gave it to him. Looking at her again, he saw that she was giving a challenge as well. He looked at Hibah and said, "It is a book but it tells a story of a long time ago."

"In a galaxy lotsa far away?"

Angela was bursting into giggles as Sam looked down at the girl thinking that she had spent way too much time with Dean. Still the expression Hibah made was cute and Sam couldn't help but smile and give a slight chuckle. "Not exactly."

Hibah then started tugging on Sam's empty hand and pulled him to sit down. She recognized a story and she always loved to hear them no matter who told them. "Then tell me. Please Abba." She looked up and gave Sam the puppy eyes.

Sam recognized that tactic as well. He looked over at Angela, who was still giggling and was obviously not going to help him out on this one. In fact she goaded the situation, "Yes please Sam. Tell us the story that you were reading."

Angela wanted to see how well Sam would adapt the story for Hibah since she knew full well what the story was about. It was the oldest version of how Hapi and Satet met and there were some very… descriptive parts that would have even Dean blush an interesting shade of red. When she had given it to Sam, it was because of the historical value of it and he had asked a bit previously about the two gods. She didn't tell him that she virtually gave him porn in elegance and was now thoroughly enjoying the fact that he was trying to figure out how to tell it. She could tell he had read those parts by the way he was looking.

Sam looked at Angela with a begging look to not make him do this. Yet Hibah was tugging on his hand and repeating 'please' over and over again. He wasn't nearly as good as improvising on a story. Yet Angela wasn't going to help him. She just looked at him expectantly. "Alright, alright."

Hibah beamed and pulled harder on Sam's arm indicating he was to sit. "Sit here Abba. Tell the story."

Sam sat tentatively near Angela but was turned so that they faced each other. He watched as Hibah crawled into her lap and made herself comfortable like the cat would do to Dean. He watched as Angela adjusted her position and just started carding Hibah's hair in a soothing manner before opening the book to the first chapter. As long as he had the book open, he could anticipate what the chapter was about and change his words accordingly. "Um… okay… uh… Once long ago in the land called Egypt…"

* * *

Larry woke up feeling disoriented and lightheaded. He couldn't help but let out a slight groan since it felt like his head had been repeatedly slammed into a wall or something. Slowly his eyes opened to reveal that the place he was in was dark and dank. It didn't take much to guess that he was in a cave of some sort and he was being hung by his wrists.

Looking around, Larry could make out shadow of piles and guessed that they might be rocks or something. He did manage to see the rifle he had been carrying lying on the ground nearby. It was out of reach so that didn't do him much good. Looking up, he tried to determine how the hell he was going to get out of this predicament and finish the job that he had set out to do. One that he regretted bringing his best friend into but at least he was okay.

He had been on the verge of explaining what it was that was they were hunting since Don had refused to go further. Larry knew it was a risk since they weren't at the safe zone that he had drawn. It was then he saw it. He had shouted for Don to run and they did. Then one or both of them tripped and they rolled down the hill a ways. Don was down for the count and Larry jumped in to save him and that was the last thing he remembered.

Sighing, Larry looked up at his bonds and started manipulating the ties to try and get his hands free. It was a little difficult since he was stretched to the point that his toes barely touched the ground. He finally managed to get his wrists out after they were rubbed raw but he was free. He scrambled around to pick up the rifle and he checked the ammo as he started towards the only possible exit.

He kicked one of the rocks accidentally and looked down. Squatting to get a better look, he realized what the pile of 'rocks' were and looked around. Holding up his rifle, he started forward, looking for the way out. It was like going through a maze of tunnels as he made his way out but he was determined to get back and regroup and call for professional help that is if his boy didn't do it already.

He was almost out when a growl sounded. He paused a moment to look around. His heartbeat started to increase as he looked around. Slowly he moved forward. The exit was almost there and even though it was dark, he could see by the moonlight. He moved, crossing over his legs as he walked to allow for him to turn quickly. It was then that he felt it; the hot breath and the low growl.

Larry turned and upon seeing it, he felt a hard cuff and he was brushed aside. Luckily he didn't drop his gun. He pointed and shot at it and the thing howled in rage. It did buy Larry time to get to his feet and run towards the cave entrance. He was barely out when he was knocked from behind and he rolled down the steep embankment kicking up snow as he tried to slow his momentum.

He ended up hitting something that stopped his fall but it hurt like hell. Grunting in pain, he got up and looked around. Miraculously his rifle landed nearby. He was about to start for it when he heard the growl and looked up and saw it was looking at him. Giving a look at it and his rifle, Larry sprinted as best as he could for the rifle just as the thing charged. He dove for the rifle. Feeling the metal in his hands, he rolled over on the snow to bring it up just as the thing was leaping to land on him.

* * *

Luca looked around the lobby of the main building of the resort. With the excitement of the last day or so when the boss' friend came stumbling in and ranting about a monster, he was glad for the quiet. It gave some measure of security even though he got the feeling that it was a false sense. At least the majority of the guests weren't disturbed by it even though the guy's fiancé was hysterical about what was wrong.

He paused to look out the window and at the mountain that he knew the boss had taken with his friend. The boss had gone up there stating that he was going to take care of the disappearing guests once and for all. Luca sighed and shook his head as he remembered that. At first he thought the boss was crazy but after a few weeks of working with the guy, he learned different.

Luca prided himself on being a man of reason and science. He believed that science could explain everything that happened in the world but things like monsters and magic were nothing but children's fairy tales. Religion was a means of establishing control over people in reassuring them about the things yet to be discovered like the state of the human soul.

It had been a rather oil and water mix when he was hired on to be the right hand man to the boss at the resort. Luca tried to be polite and reasonable but some of the things the boss did like subtly hiding weird symbols as part of the art décor in the resort were plain ridiculous. Luca tried to make it so that the people coming didn't think that it was a cult re-education center or something since some of those symbols looked Satanic. The day that the boss invited a shaman over and he performed a purification right had Luca nearly pulling his hair out reassuring guests.

Finally Lucas came out and asked the boss what was going on and why was he deliberately trying to sabotage the resort. The boss had looked at him funny and replied, "I am trying to _save_ the resort, Luca."

Luca had been puzzled by the response and had replied, "What are you talking about?"

The answer he got was more than he bargained for and he thought that his boss was insane. "Too long have people been coming and disappearing without a trace and the authorities ruling it as getting lost or bear attacks or whatever. There are things out there worse than mountain cats."

"So putting up Satanic symbols and bringing in shaman are the answer?"

"They aren't Satanic. They are protection. To make sure that things don't get in but I am not yet sure what it is."

Luca questioned the boss more and learned that he actually believed in such a thing as ghosts and monsters. Luca thought he should have gone and have the boss committed but then he was shown what he had privately dubbed the wall of weird. That was when Lucas started doubting everything he knew to be real and the like. Of course initially he still thought the boss to be a psycho since there were newspaper clippings about missing persons and animal attacks spanning over a couple of decades and how all the victims were males and loners.

Then Luca found a few sketches of obviously monsters with huge question marks drawn next to them. He thought the boss went off his rocker then and that was when the boss said, "There are things out there more fearsome than a bear rearing at you with huge claws. They go bump in the night and are from a world that most folks don't ever see."

Luca wanted to quit right then and there and nearly threatened to call the authorities on the boss. Yet he didn't as soon as the boss started putting together a logical argument. It was palpable then but he still didn't buy it. Then there were the phone calls back and forth between the boss and some guy who sounded like he belonged in a BBC production.

Luca had spoken to that man once and was thoroughly agitated by the whole experience. He had been called names before but this guy had a way of saying the same thing but making it get under your skin. Still he stayed and slowly began to form the opinion that his boss might not be as crazy as he thought. It was more or less confirmed when he saw something that he knew was not normal in every sense of the word.

It was night time and the snow was lightly falling. Lucas had been outside wandering the grounds and doing a check. Most of the staff was inside and in bed along with the guests that were staying. Even the cabins were quiet for the night and that was a rather pleasant surprise. It was as he was making his way back that he spotted something and flashed his light. It was quick and he was curious so he followed.

He was near a set of cabins and that was when he saw it. He couldn't believe it. It had moved too fast to be any animal he had ever seen before. It had seen him and tried to get to him but it couldn't and he wasn't about to question why. He just got back to the main building and into the boss' office where he told him what he saw and he had rambled on that he apologized for thinking that he was crazy and the like.

Since then, Luca plunged into helping the boss prepare to hunt the thing but they still didn't know what it was. Well he suspected the boss knew what it was since he got very particular about the protection around the place. Luca was to take care of the day to day business of the resort while he was busy with getting ready with what needed to be done. It felt like a bit of a setback but looking at it now, Luca appreciated the fact that the boss had his safety in mind. Plus he was also the means to call for backup if a problem occurred and from what happened when that Atkins fellow stumbled in, it looked like they would need it.

So per protocol that had been established, Luca called the boss' friend and endured the snippy comments while he relayed what happened. The guy said that he knew a couple of people that would be able to help and that he would give them a call. Well that was said and done and now all Luca had to do was wait.

Staring out the window, Luca watched the snow fall. He couldn't explain it but he felt that the boss was alive out there somewhere. He hoped that these guys that were called in were really good and could find the boss and get the job done. He seriously wanted this to be over. He checked his watch and noted the time and saw that he would have to get some sleep f he was going to have the place still functioning. Sighing he said to no one in particular, "I hope these guys can find you Boss."

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like Sammy is caught in the middle for story telling and something is going on out there. Stay tuned for next time on Solstice Beginnings...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"So this is the place?"

Sam peered through the windshield to look out. It was a little hard since it started snowing at the moment and the fog had started building up on the windshield. He could make out the main house sitting up on a slight hill as they drove up the path. "Looks like it."

Dean himself was trying to see through the windshield and cranked up the defroster. The windshield cleared but the falling snow was annoying. He made a slight sound through his lips but then grinned, "You think they have a garden maze?"

Sam looked at Dean with an expression that said his brother was talking complete shit. Only he would be thinking of the Shining at this moment. Sarcastically he replied, "And I bet there is a crazy guy willing to chase you through it."

Dean took in the look and smirked. "Don't diss a great movie."

"The book was better," Sam replied knowing that Dean would never read the book and just to be a pain in the ass. He looked out the windows and at the resort. It was out in the Appalachians in Kentucky and from the looks of things, very popular and doing good for itself. He had a little bit of a hard time figuring out why there would be a problem in this place.

"Yeah whatever, bitch," Dean muttered as he navigated the Impala through the road, not wanting to admit that Sam was being annoying on purpose just because he happened to mention what he overheard in his sleep during the night.

They decided to hit the road when Hibah fell asleep or rather Dean did since he was pumped up on caffeine and energy. Sam protested because of Hibah and Angela said her piece until Dean compromised at leaving early in the morning. Well his definition was pitch black sky still and to watch the sunrise and, as he sarcastically put it, they could offer praises to the sun and hold hands.

Angela shook her head at that in a bemused fashion and Sam just scowled. Well they were both asleep when the sun came up but Dean was wide awake and trying hard not to bust a gut laughing. He had spent the morning listening to Sam talking about some chick with a sword and he went into vivid detail about what she did with it. He called the woman by name but the description was uncannily that of Angela.

Of course he mentioned it subtly and watched as Sam turned into a shade of red that he never thought possible. Dean never mentioned Angela and had the sense to make sure that Hibah wasn't around since she would ask questions though that would just make it funnier. In the end Sam refused to speak to Dean for the majority of the trip except when necessary.

Peering into the rearview mirror, Dean saw that Angela was still asleep. Her elbow was on the windowsill and her head was propped in her hand. Occasionally a bounce of the car would have her press her forehead gently into the cool glass but nothing woke her up. Hibah was leaning against her, also asleep and Angela had a protective arm over her as she held her close. It was rather cute and… he couldn't really say it since this started occurring after that thing at Bobby's.

The drive really had him thinking about what Sam had said and how Angela had been acting. Yeah he could admit that anything regarding deals with the supernatural made him crazy and he vented but he was not angry at that. He saw how miserable she was and while she was good at making a lie seem like the truth, real emotions were hard to fake. Hell he could see how much it hurt her to cut Sam like she did. He wasn't even mad at the deal thing.

Dean could admit that he wasn't always the best at dealing with emotions. He sure as hell didn't show that he wasn't mad at her. He figured that was why she was just being polite. At least it was better than her staying away and occasionally coming back when he and Sam needed her the most but it wasn't all right with the world.

The idea that she had told them of the hunt and then offered to tell her contact that they accepted was for him, it was a bit weird. Then again she was not conventional. Dean always suspected she had a way of reading people and when she gave something, it was because she read them and she mostly was on the right track. This time maybe she might be on the right track, like close but no cigar. She eyed him warily a couple of times.

Looking at her in the rearview mirror, Dean knew he was going to have to corner her and make sure that Hibah was with Sam at the time. She had a tendency to hide behind something. Hibah was convenient since she refused to discuss serious issues in front of her. He looked over at Sam and said, "Hey, I think you were right about… the case."

Sam looked at his brother. He could see that Dean was being serious but he was still peeved that Dean was teasing him about his dreams. "That's a first."

"Come on Sam. I know Angie's not into the job for anything except doing right and for nothing. Most folks have trouble believing it," Dean admitted as he made the final turn to pull in front of the main building. He was tempted to do the whole valet parking but it wasn't like they had money for that.

"Dean, we've been together for almost two years now. Seriously?"

"Hey you and me both know that for something good coming our way usually blows up in our face."

"So you're saying that having Angie around is waiting for the other shoe to drop?"

"No. Stop putting words into my mouth Sam," Dean sputtered angrily in a whisper. "I meant that her doing something nice with no motive behind it… or in this case for us… it's hard to believe but then again not."

Sam wasn't sure if he followed what Dean was saying but he picked up the gist that Dean wasn't saying that Angela was bad luck. He knew that people couldn't believe she could be that generous for no reason except that she wanted to. He was guilty of that when she paid for the damage to Bobby's house and didn't bat an eye at the cost. Even earlier was the Shelby from the Brazil case. He said nothing about that but directed attention to the case, "Okay so the resort is a ski resort primarily but it is used for weekend getaways."

"Okay so who is it that we're supposed to talk to?"

"Um… manager Luca," Sam replied looking at his notes he had written since Angela was still asleep in the back seat.

"Sure hope there is a means of affording a place like this," Dean muttered. He was wondering how this was going to work out since it was a high end place.

Before Sam could answer they were both startled by a shriek and a string of babbling that they were certain was not English. Both turned to see Hibah wide awake and looking out the window and looking a little hysterical. She started saying something about the sky falling down but it was jumbled. Sam tried to calm her down but she was bouncing around trying to see what was going on. The windows began rattling and it was clear that her powers were on overload. It was then that Angela's soft voice broke through and started talking to Hibah in the same language Hibah was babbling in.

It worked and Hibah calmed down once Angela made it clear that the snow wasn't a bad thing. She opened her eyes wide at the snow falling and leaned over and peered out the window. "That is snow Ima?"

"Yes habibitti," Angela replied as she blinked a bit sleepily. She wasn't put out by the sudden wakeup call but she just felt tired and she was guessing that her nightmares and dreams were catching up with her. "It won't hurt you. Come on."

Angela popped open the door and got out and waited for Hibah to come out. She gave a slight smile as the little clutched Boomer and tentatively peered out before getting out of the Impala. She glanced at Sam and Dean who were still in shock at the fact the Impala nearly suffered a break down but it was tempered by watching Hibah step in the snow and look around. Angela said, "See? It won't hurt you."

Hibah walked around and listened as her feet crunched in the snow. The snowfall was thick and she caught a few flakes and looked up. She then turned and saw Angela watching with a smile. The snow was falling on her hair and it clung pretty. Sam and Dean had gotten out and Sam was leaning across the roof of the Impala watching. She beamed as she turned and bent to pick up snow. She liked this stuff. It was wet and cold but it was fun.

Angela smiled as she adjusted her jacket and walked to join Hibah. Dean looked over at Sam and said, "You better learn how she does that."

Sam had been watching and frowned, "Why me?"

"Because you're the one 'Ninja' calls Abba," Dean pointed out using the nickname he had pinned on Hibah when she succeeded in sneaking up on him in a game they were playing. He gave a grin and added, "And I'm the totally awesome uncle."

Sam scoffed as he shut his side of the door, "You're impossible."

"Nah, just better at it than you," Dean countered. "Come on. Let's check out this Luca and see if we do have a case." He led the way up the stairs to the main building of the resort. He didn't fail to notice the sigils of protection and warding that had been woven into the design. He could tell that Sam noticed it too but said nothing as they walked in followed by Angela and Hibah.

* * *

"The Splinter's Cabin will be yours during your stay. Two rooms, main room, kitchen," Luca studied the group as they looked around the main lobby. He figured that they might have noticed what the boss man had put up in terms of the craziness. The woman seemed particularly observant but it was quiet and she seemed to have more attention devoted to her daughter.

Dean looked around at the place and replied, "Okay. So is there anything else you can tell us about what happened?"

Luca looked at the shorter one. He looked like a few of the loners that had gone missing. His brother looked more clean shaven and less likely to be a loner and he figured he was with the woman since the girl would oscillate between him and her, holding onto the hands or the edge of the jacket. He replied, "I'd rather not at the moment. When Rosita comes back I can drop by and fill you in."

Sam could tell that wasn't satisfying enough for Dean but he could see the point. This was a place of business and from the looks of things pretty busy. He also had been astute enough to realize that with the snowfall getting thicker it was going to be next to impossible to get people out of there much less send Hibah back down with Angela. "Dean," he whispered and motioned towards the weather outside.

Dean could see the point and nodded, "Alright. When will Rosita be back?"

"An hour," Luca offered.

"That will be fine," Angela cut in before anyone could protest. She had noted the weather and had noted how nervous Luca was. He clearly didn't want to discuss this in front of guests. "Just point us on our way."

It didn't take much to issue keys and move the Impala near the cabin since it was a fair walking distance from the main building. Plus there was the fact that their luggage was the kind of stuff that they had to hide considering their profession. Dean was a bit recalcitrant to leave his baby out in the snow until Angela came out of the cabin with a tarp and put it over the Impala and tucked the edges in. She had done it without being asked and made sure that it was well insulated against the cold. She said, "See habibitti, we have to take care of Impa."

Nothing much was said until all the gear was brought into the cabin and they could finally look around. Hibah went around looking at everything and occasionally pausing to look out the windows to see how much more the snow had fallen. It was distraction for a time since she didn't have Cerebus; the mutt had been sent back to Bobby's for a time since it didn't seem like a good idea to take him up the mountains and since there were civilians about and they probably would freak out if he went hellhound mode on them. Plus Bobby asked for his help in a case and Angela agreed.

Dean looked around the place and could agree that it was a pretty nice place. The fact that it was being let to them complimentary aka free was a bonus. He didn't even mind the fact that he had made a discovery regarding the bedrooms and made an executive decision just for the laughs. With any luck no one would notice until they actually had to go to bed.

Sam already made himself at home by popping the laptop open to try and figure out what they were up against even though the details were sketchy. Dean decided to let his brother be since he probably had enough from the teasing earlier. It was going to be a long road on that one but always entertaining, yet he couldn't help but wonder if his girl was feeling burnt out from the waiting. He wouldn't blame her and he had seen her become animated with that Liam fellow. And she was not petty either. She wouldn't go out with some guy to make Sam jealous. To do that all she had to do was walk into a bar and then the fun started.

"Dammit Dean. Quit messing with my stuff!"

Dean grinned his Cheshire cat grin as he took refuge in the kitchen area. He had neglected to mention that he had did some 'research' and it froze at a particularly interesting site. He left it just to mess with Sam and boy was it known now. It never got old even though he had his own laptop to mess with.

"That wasn't very nice."

It took a moment for Dean to realize that Angela had spoken voluntarily to him and he looked like a fish gulping for air. When he had it under control, he replied, "I do it all the time. You know that Angie."

"True but considering the amount of teasing you've been laying on Sam…" Angela gave a slight shrug of her shoulders and her lips twitched in the faintest of smiles to indicate that she knew exactly what had been going on. "The usual I get. You're brothers. But teasing him about his 'good behavior'…"

"So you did notice that," Dean affirmed.

"I notice a lot Dean." Angela then dropped her gaze to the floor as she turned towards the cupboards. She had noticed that the place had been stocked and she suspected that Luca had been given specific instructions. It was something that she had to ask Sherlock later via IM. It would make his day surely.

Dean realized that now was the time to corner Angela and talk. If he didn't do it now, he didn't know when he could. At least her talking to him first was a sign of something. He asked, "So Ninja's taking a nap?"

Angela twitched her lips in a smile at the nickname Dean gave their little charge. Sam's was interesting and she understood why he never said it in front of Dean. Hers were affectionate and she interchanged them but her most common one was habibitti. Her French 'Bijoux' made Hibah giggle when he did it. She replied, "Worn out and not from wandering around this place. The outburst in the car did that."

"You mean the windows…"

"Her abilities have emotional ties. Well most do. You've seen mine," she replied, growing quiet when she said the last part. "Learning control is something I hope to teach the basics in before… before she goes back to Wosret."

Dean didn't want to touch that just yet. Hell all three of them knew that there would be a time when Hibah would leave them. At the moment they were in denial. Dean also recognized this as one of Angela's side tracking techniques to avoid what he had come to talk about. He wasn't going to fall for that. He was going to try the Sam approach and pester her but try not to piss her off in the process. He replied, "She's learning a lot from you." He paused and cleared his throat before continuing, "Uh Angie… about what's going on…"

"Everything's fine Dean."

That calm tone said one thing but her expression and manner said another. Dean willed himself not to get bent out of shape. "No, it's not," he said in his more gentle tone even though it sounded rough. "Look, I know that you've been quiet and withdrawn and not talking unless a question is directed at you and that has been going on for a couple of weeks now… since we left Bobby's and I wanna know why cause it's driving me crazy and even when we're on a job it think about it. So why? Tell me why, Angie."

"Tell me why you feel driven to do nothing but cases since Hibah came into our lives," Angela countered. She was well prepared for the potential outburst on this but if she was going to talk, she wanted Dean to talk about it too.

"I asked first," Dean countered.

"And I will tell you but you have to tell me," Angela replied. When she saw the slight scowl that formed on his face, she continued, "Dean, I just told you I notice things. You think I don't see that you hunt for cases in the middle of the night, the haunted look that comes when no one is looking? I see a lot and what I have been seeing… it came full force when Alistair came into the picture. If you're not going to talk to Sam, then talk to someone. If you don't, it's just going to fester and eventually you burn out or something and it's not often a pretty picture."

Dean looked at Angela and how she was giving a begging look. He wasn't dumb. He knew she had been around and was available to talk to. Like Sam though, he didn't want to bother her with it. She had enough problems and truth be told she was the primary caretaker of Hibah. Why give her more? He really did want to talk but he didn't have it in him to dump it on Sam since he still thought it was his fault that Sam was in this racket again and they were where they were at.

Angela could see that he was contemplating. Sometimes with Dean, the best way to show she meant it was to do it first. Slowly she said, "I broke rule number one."

That was a one-eighty in Dean's mind. "What?"

"I broke rule number one, Dean," Angela repeated. "I put you both in a position to think that everything was as it looked like to flush out a traitor and in the process… I hurt Sam."

It had never occurred to Dean _that_ was the issue and not the whole thing about some bargain with Ares. As far as he could tell, she had been forced into doing that and she followed through. He knew that she would never throw a match because she didn't play that way in a fight. Sam knew that and even told him later. He replied, "Angie, you did what you had to do. Far as I could tell, you were forced to play Ares' champion. You said it yourself that you didn't expect him to do that."

"Should've though. He's the god of war and when he gets into an idea, he will do what he has to do to…" Angela broke off. She was starting to sound like how she had rationalized it in her mind when she looked for the words to explain the bargain… if it could be called that.

"Hey, you're not perfect. None of us are," Dean pointed out. "I'm not perfect either since I knew about Alistair and what he did to me…" His voice trailed off. He wasn't sure that he wanted to visit this just yet.

"I know that but we just can't help it," Angela replied. "I know you pretty well Dean. You're the first to react if someone messes with Sam. Your time in summer camp was particularly interesting."

"Summer camp sucks," Dean automatically replied the same way he did then. He had realized that she had admitted to watching over him and Sam there and figured that she was the one that saved their bacon that time. He sighed and then said, "You probably know that time in hell passes differently. I mean you mentioned Karnak once or twice when explaining about Hibah. I was there for four months but it felt more like forty years."

Dean paused to look at Angela and noticed that she was waiting for him to continue. Damn she was better at listening than he was. He continued, "Every day, he ripped at me, cut me, set the hounds on me until there was nothing left. Then I would be put together again like magic and it would start all over again. And at the end of the day… Alistair would ask me if I would torture souls in exchange for getting off the rack. He asked it every day and I told him to stick it until…"

Angela knew that this was killing Dean. She knew what it was like in that corner of the pit and she knew what it was like to feel such pain and anguish. Sins laid bare, the soul stripped down until you were left with the knowledge of what you truly were. She knew that well since she had been made to see it. Had it been longer… she pushed that aside and finished quietly, "Until you couldn't do it anymore."

"I just couldn't and they took me off the rack and I started torturing souls." Dean paused. He refused to cry in front of her. "The worst part was that hell bitch… Lenya. Her laughter and cooing. She said that I was her new favorite and encouraged me."

"She would," Angela allowed. "It explains why you had a strong reaction to her at the Academy."

"Some of the things she said…"

"Makes you feel like you no better than the things you hunt," Angela finished. When Dean looked at her she added, "I know. It's her game with me when she decides to dog my steps. Then again half the fun is showing up unexpectedly, having her way and then make me hold my breath until next time. The fun is not it the action physically but mentally. The mind can do things that you would never think possible."

Dean studied Angela. She seemed to know and she should since as she said, Lenya dogged her steps. He asked, "Is that why you like to quiz me and Sam?"

"There are methods to my madness Dean. Of course some people aren't ready for or they are done too well that things are strained." Angela gave a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"I admit that I was pissed when the word deal was mentioned in the same breath as that douche Ares but I'm not mad at what you did. I forget that you've done this before," Dean countered. "Seriously I'm not mad and I know that you would never hurt Sam intentionally. I know you'd commit hara-kiri before doing that."

"For you too," Angela added softly.

"But for Sam more and don't try your Jedi mind thing to divert attention," Dean warned with a slight smile. "Seriously though, Angie, I'm not mad at you. Eventually I get my head out of my ass. It just makes me uncomfortable when you do this giving space thing. Just give me an hour or two to cool off and then say something. I miss you."

Angela gave a slight smile. "You miss me?"

"Well Samantha does," Dean spluttered.

Angela gave a slight chuckle and closed the distance between her and Dean. She gave a platonic peck on his cheek and whispered, "I missed you both too." She gave a smile and went to check on Hibah, unaware that the kiss and Dean's dopey smile had been witnessed by another occupant of the cabin.

* * *

**A/N:** Some talking moments and Angela and Dean talk about what happened. Looks like somebody has been peeking. Stay tuned for more Solstice Beginnings...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Dean surveyed the area surrounding the main building and noted that he found as many as twenty different kinds of warding and protection sigils. He was surprised that this Larry guy knew that much for someone who was most definitely an amateur. Yet according to that Luca dude, he knew enough to take precautions and it seemed that whatever it was that came down was sent away.

Dean did feel sorry for the guy in that he was still in a place where he couldn't believe that monsters weren't real. For some, even though the blinds were opened, they still had trouble. Some just accepted and moved on with it. At least the guy knew how to observe things and was able to describe what he saw. Unfortunately it wasn't detailed enough to figure out what it was. It seemed that a hunt was in order. "Well Sam, I think we're going hunting."

"We still have the other witness. Don Atkins," Sam replied quietly as he took a sip of his coffee. "He might have gotten a better look since he and this Larry guy went up to hunt it."

"Yeah and most of what he described came out in a babble and now the guy's in a catatonic state. He won't talk to anybody," Dean pointed out as he noted Sam's quiet demeanor. His brother usually got this way when he had seen or heard something that he was not meant to hear and he was inwardly seething or hurting that he hadn't been told.

"Still worth an effort," Sam replied. He was actually thinking about the time that Angela did that memory trick on him. He was in two minds of asking her since he hadn't forgotten the last time. On the one hand she would be able to get what they needed but on the other, there was the possibility of her passing out or worse. Ultimately the choice would be hers and knowing her, she would do it because she would be thinking about the whole greater good thing.

The other thing on his mind was the kiss and make up that he witnessed. Sam was not sure of what to make of Angela at times but he was rather glad that at least something was settled. He had noticed it after she disappeared for an hour and came back with information about Don Atkins and where he was holed up and what happened when he stumbled in. She gave the information readily and didn't wait to be spoken to. He was relieved that things were okay but he knew her well enough that it was okay to a point. There was a lot of stuff and baggage she carried and it looked like until hell froze over that it would all get out. Sam didn't mind that at all since he could agree that one couldn't get rid of four or five centuries of crap like that. Hell the fights they had were proof of that. At least she was talking and that was the important thing. "Maybe his fiancé heard something he said and can tell us. We've gotten by on a lot less."

"I'm more concerned that it might be something we can't handle," Dean admitted.

"Thinking wendigo or yeti?"

"Maybe. Or it could be crazy Lupei like that douche Joseph," Dean replied. He looked around and noted the distance between the buildings. "For the most part the disappearances occurred out in that area." He pointed in the direction.

"I could look up maps and see if there's anything that would be a potential hideout or something," Sam offered. "There's not much we can do right now except for maybe questioning the guy in the hospital."

"And what do you expect to get? He's not talking," Dean pointed out.

Sam chewed his lower lip slightly before saying, "Angie could do it."

"And how's she gonna do that?" Dean studied his brother and got what Sam was silently conveying. "You mean her mind thing? You know how she feels about that."

"That's why we ask her Dean. She's done it before," Sam countered.

"And how do you know that?"

"She… told me… after she did it to me." Sam had recognized the look on Dean's face and he felt like he was six again when Dean was in charge and Dad was away and he did something he shouldn't. Of course the other look that Dean shot him lately was also there. "Don't look at me like that, she did it to make a point."

"And when was this?"

"When Hibah was a baby," Sam replied. "We talked about what we did while you were in hell. And don't go after with this Dean. All she did was show me a memory of one of her escapes."

"Seems like there was more to it than that."

"It was… It felt real," Sam offered.

Dean absorbed the information and tried to process it. He was well aware about his girl and that mind thing she could do. He recalled when she mentioned about scaring those biker guys the first time and when they got rid of them, she put the fear of God into them. Granted he had no idea what she did, it was pretty effective since he heard that they skipped town and said they weren't coming back and that came from Bobby.

What Sam was telling him was something that was related but it seemed like it was much more. He remembered when she was training Sam for the tournament that she mentioned his opponents had trained all their lives and used some combination of the physical and the psychological. Granted he didn't get it until he met Lenya in hell he got what she meant. It was scary at the possibilities and he could see why she wouldn't say anything about it. He was curious though, "How real?"

"Like I was there real. I could see and feel but I couldn't interact with anything," Sam replied as he vividly recalled that experience. "When Angie explained it, she said that it was something vamps that are born can do. Something about getting a visual record, that kind of thing."

"What can't vamps do," Dean muttered. He couldn't believe he was considering asking Angela to do this. "So what, she's gonna bite him and suck his blood or something?"

"No," Sam replied with a 'what the hell look'. "Don't be stupid."

"Hey I read. I know the big deal with the older vamps about blood and stuff," Dean defended himself.

"It's not like that. She uses a less messy way. Like a Vulcan mind meld."

"Great. So let me guess, she touches the head and then goes searching for something and pulls it out."

"I think. She only mentioned it but no detail. We won't know until we ask."

"And she's gonna say yes."

"Only if you word it so it's like she doesn't have a choice." Sam paused a moment before continuing, "Just give her a choice and tell her if she doesn't want to then it's okay."

"You trying the guilt trip method? Cause you know she's gonna say yes anyway if you do that kind of thing."

"No. Dean." Sam paused trying not to get into an argument. "It's not a guilt trip. Just ask. That's all."

"Sounds like a guilt trip to me. Seems you've gone from puppy eyes to guilt," Dean countered slightly teasing and slightly now sure that this suggestion was going to cause problems or something. "I'm surprised you haven't used Ninja."

"That's low even for you," Sam countered and he felt his temper rise. "At least I don't carry a grudge over every little thing she does like her 'bargain' with Ares."

"Hey, I said I wasn't mad at that."

"Sure looked like it when you bellowed at her to get into the car when we left Bobby's." Sam stopped knowing that this wasn't going to get them anywhere and it was pointless since Angela wasn't there to give her input. "Look, I'll go ask if it'll make you feel better or better yet we can both be in the same room and ask so that way I don't try the 'guilt trip method'."

"Sam, asking her to go into someone's mind is…"

"Like what my abilities are right?" Sam didn't mean for that to come out but it did. "Like the fact that maybe you approve of her using them because she was born with it making it one more thing that puts her on the side of the freaks?"

"I didn't say that."

"Dean, how do you really feel about her? Does the idea that she can do what she does bother you that much?"

"No," Dean replied in a low voice. It wasn't as firm as he usually would put it and it gave the appearance that he really didn't know what to think.

Sam was convinced by his brother's response that Dean wasn't sure or he held her in the same regard as he did him; that she was a freak and probably a whole new level of freak. "You know… I'll ask and I'll make sure I ask like how you would." He took off before Dean could say anything more.

Dean would have gone after Sam but decided against it. This was the second time that the whole issue of Angela's powers came up. He was okay with it because she was responsible with them. Sam he was worried about because it was his baby brother. She got that. He knew she was different and he was aware that he sometimes said things that were meant for the other freaks and he could tell that she was getting better at not taking it personally but he could see that she would be wary at times. She was good though but Dean was astute to realize that Sam was championing for her and that whole if she appeared hurting then he was and he was going to do something about it. It was something to think about.

* * *

"You know I could babysit Hibah just as well as Sam," Dean said as he walked with Angela through the snow covered ground.

"I know," Angela replied as she looked at the place that served as a hospital for the nearby town. It was amazing that they had been able to make it down there but as Luca said, that was nothing. She was inclined to believe that since the memory of Darby and Bitterroot was still fresh in her mind even though it had been nearly a year.

"Well, it's just that you usually jump at a chance to go anywhere with Sam," Dean countered as he adjusted his tie to prepare for his role as an FBI agent. He glanced over at Angela who was wearing her usual black workman's boots along with jeans and whatever shirt she was wearing that was currently being hidden by a black navy pea coat. In short, she looked like she was going for a hike so Dean improvised the cover of being a consultant.

"Do I?" Angela turned with a slight frown to look at Dean.

"Don't give me that," Dean countered, "You always let Sam stay even when you don't want company."

"I don't like to be rude."

"Angie, quit it. What's eating you? Does it have to do with what he asked if you could do?"

Angela studied Dean. She didn't want to tell Dean that Sam had asked very un-Sam like if she could do her memory pulling thing on Don Atkins. She was suspicious of the request since normally Sam asked and said it was okay if she didn't want to. This time it was more like how Dean would ask it of her and it had her wondering if someone pulled a switch on her when she wasn't looking. "He asked… just…" She gave a shrug of her shoulders. It really wasn't that big of a deal. Right now they had a case and they needed to focus. She needed to focus.

"Just what?"

"Nothing. Just… it wasn't like Sam," she replied as she started forward.

"Meaning?"

"It just didn't sound like him," Angela replied hoping that Dean would get the hint that she didn't want to really talk about it at the moment. She just wanted to get in and get this errand done and hopefully, maybe help the guy in the process.

"Did he act like an ass again?"

"You both act like asses when you pester me enough just to get a rise out of me," she countered, near ready to snap. That wasn't good. She needed to be somewhat calm if she was going to do this.

"What's your problem?"

Angela stopped and looked at Dean. She looked up at the sky pursing her lips to try and find something to say. She didn't want to get into a shouting match or anything like that. It wasn't Dean's fault or anything. If she admitted that Sam's attitude bothered her, then Dean would bring it up and just make things worse. She just kept up the steady flow of air in and out to calm herself down.

Dean watched her try to not work herself up into a temper. Yeah he could admit that he didn't have to pester her but whatever Sam said or how he said it clearly bothered her. He tried again but this time a bit more gentle, "Angie, how did he say it?" When she refused to speak, he added, "I won't bring it up. I just want to talk."

Angela raised her brow at that. She figured Dean would have had enough of that. Still he was willing to listen to her. She could do this. "He sounded like you."

"Good or bad thing?"

"I don't know," Angela replied. She frowned as she looked at the ground for a moment before looking back up at Dean. "You sound like you because that's the way you are and it's what I love about you. Sam sounding like you… it's different. It's like…"

"Like what?"

"Like there was no soul there," Angela replied, not sure if that was exactly right or not. "It was Sam but not Sam. And no don't go into the demon blood in him theory. This was different and it bothered me. Now can we please get this done? I would like to be able to get through with this case and leave."

Dean watched as she walked into the hospital. His gut was telling him there was something more to it. The best he could describe it as was that Sam hurt her feelings but on a level that she probably wasn't aware of. She said she was bothered but Dean figured it was another word for hurt feelings. Still he was going to take a leaf out of Sam's book and not dig too deeply. He could see that it was something that they would have to work out.

Following Angela, they managed to find the room that Don Atkins was staying in and by his side was his fiancée, Melanie Simmons. Angela stood by the door but her attention was on Don and not the conversation that Dean was having with Melanie. Dean asked, "So did Don actually say what he saw when he came in?"

"I already told the police," Melanie replied, "He was just babbling about some creature like a bear or something that got Larry. Larry was his college buddy. They were supposed to be out doing a hunting lesson."

Dean thought that Larry was an idiot for taking someone with less experience than him on a hunt especially when he didn't even know what the thing was. That was like a big time rookie mistake that wouldn't make the yearbook. He kept this to himself though he was certain he was going to have a few words with Larry, if they ever found him. He replied, "I see. Did you know why they were out hunting?"

"Well Larry was more of a hippie kind of guy. He never really liked confrontation that much though how he made it in the business he's in now is a mystery. He was always the fun one." Melanie dabbed her eyes since her gaze darted to Don who was just sitting on his bed and looking straight ahead at nothing. She couldn't believe it. "Anyway, we got the cabin we were in because Don agreed to teach Larry how to shoot. Don was a Marine and the best shot in his unit. It was an even trade."

_Even trade my ass_, Dean thought to himself. Still he could understand the whole friend wanting to help out another friend thing. He looked at Angela who had started moving closer towards Don and was just observing him. He hoped she wouldn't do anything freaky to freak out the girl. The last thing they needed were two traumatized people. "Okay so Don came back saying something about a bear or something. Was he able to describe it?"

"Brown hair and big," Melanie replied. "That was all anyone got out of him before… Hey what are you doing?"

Dean turned to see that Angela had pulled up one of the doctor's stools and was sitting there, looking at the guy. She had the same expression as the guy. It was a bit creepy to see but he was relieved when Angela said, "Just trying to find the root of the problem."

"He's in a catatonic state brought on by the concussion to the head," Melanie countered, repeating the diagnosis that she had been told. She was not sure about this woman and the manner in which she was quiet and observing was disquieting but it didn't seem dangerous but it was hard to tell.

"That is the explanation but there are ways to get through that," Angela replied as she flipped on the pen light she had brought and looked into Don's eyes with the ease of expertise. If this was going to work, she needed to be certain of his mental state. It would give her an idea of how hard to push and how deep to dig.

Dean knew he had to say something to assuage the situation. He said, "This is a consultant for the FBI. She's a doctor that specializes in the brain. That kind of thing." It was instant bullshit and produced on the spot. Yet it was the best he could do in the current situation.

Melanie bought it though. "You mean, you might be able to help him?" She addressed Angela but ended up looking at Dean. It was a long shot hope but if this doctor could do it, then she would take it. She would sign any forms necessary.

Angela finished looking at Don's eyes. The reaction of his pupils said something and once she caught a flicker, as if his eyes were following her. It was subtle but easily missed. She could do this but it was a matter of finessing and she had no idea if Dean's bullshitting was going to do the trick. She thought for a moment and then replied, "I think I might be able to get him to talk about what happened. It will be a start."

"What do I have to do?"

Angela bit her lip. That was a hard question to answer. After all this was going into a whole other realm and Dean didn't pass her off as a psychic so that was out. Finally she said, "Nothing but I would like your permission to tend to him but I need privacy with the exception of my colleague." It was bad and she found herself comparing her response to one that Sherlock would have made.

"But I want to stay with him."

Dean entered on this one, "Um the doc likes to work in peace and there is a possibility that whatever your fiancé saw, it could be ugly. We would like to catch this thing and stop it from hurting other people but it may not be a pretty picture."

Melanie looked at Angela and then back at Dean. She didn't want to leave Don but she could understand what they were getting at. They were being concerned about her even though she thought there was something slightly off about the woman. It wasn't in a bad way but more like she was not on the same frequency as most people. Still if it would help Don… She nodded and said, "Alright. Do it."

Dean gave one of his best smiles and replied, "If you don't mind waiting or maybe take a lunch break. It may take some time but we'll let you know when we're done."

It took some prompting but Dean finally got Melanie out of the room. He looked around and then back in at Angie and asked, "Got a plan to keep other docs and nurses out?"

"Flip the top most flap."

Dean did as he was told and made sure no one was watching. He closed the door and as an added precaution he locked it. "I'm not even going to ask how you even know that." He paused and noticed that she had the bed lowered and she was making adjustments. "What are you doing?"

Angela glanced up before finishing what she was doing, "Making him comfortable. With Sam he was sitting upright but he was conscious and aware. I am pulling a memory out. At this point Don is not as conscious so to speak." She pulled out some of her herbs from the pouch the shaman gave her and sprinkled it around as well as wafted it under Don's nose. "The herbs will relax him enough so when I go in, he won't struggle."

Dean had to admit that he was impressed. Angela had always been good with her herbs and their uses but to see it in action, especially with something that she was disinclined to use on a whim, it was different. He watched as she began muttering something in a language he didn't understand and observed as she bent over and chanted softly into Don's ear. He didn't understand but he got the gist of the tone.

Don for his part continued to stare up at the ceiling. His body did become more visibly relaxed as Angela continued her chanting. Gently she placed her fingers in the appropriate position on his head. It looked awkward since Don was on his back but she had done this before and that guy was clinically a vegetable. She looked down at Don and said, "Do not be afraid."

Dean stood his post by the door and watched as Angela closed her eyes and said something. When she opened them, they were glowing like they did when she vamped out in a fight. She looked spaced out like Don. He had to make sure that she was okay. "You okay Angie?"

"Ask your question Dean," Angela replied. She didn't look at him as she said it but her tone was clear.

Dean nodded still a bit freaked by the fact that she was staring into space. "Okay, start with the last thing you remember doing."

Angela's fingers twitched. Then Don started to speak and she spoke at the same time, "Me and Larry were talking. Larry had something important he wanted to tell me but he couldn't or had a hard time doing it. When all of a sudden…"

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like tension between brothers and Angie agrees to perform some of her mojo. Will they find out what they are looking for? Find more next time on Solstice Beginnings...


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sam sighed and watched his breath come out in plumes of heat as he watched Hibah play in the snow. As it were he was stuck on babysitting duty of the little girl… not that he minded. He loved spending time with the girl that called him Abba even though the name still brought a slight flush of embarrassment to his face. He knew what the word meant as well as what Ima meant.

When Angela explained the possible reason why Hibah called them that, it made it more palpable but that didn't mean that the jokes stopped coming from Dean. So Sam was extremely grateful that Angela didn't tell him what Amitz meant. That would just inflate his big brother's ego to past insufferable. Still he didn't mind the name and knew that it was impossible to convince the girl otherwise.

Sam gave a slight smile as he watched Hibah make snowballs. It dispelled his earlier mood and he knew with clarity that his request towards Angela was not one of the nicest ones he had given her. An excuse would be that he was pissed with Dean but that was flimsy even to him. She didn't deserve that from him and the look she gave… it was one he hadn't expected from her and to be honest, it kind of hurt.

It wasn't like Dean looking at him like he was a freak but it wasn't like those other looks she gave when she just didn't know when to express. After he had asked if she was would be willing to do her mind thing trick, it was like something was different about her expression. He couldn't quite put his finger on it and it occurred to him that he might have hurt her feelings, which was odd since she reacted much differently in other cases when her feelings were hurt.

He didn't think about it much since something hit him and it was wet. He looked to find the remnants of a snowball clinging to his jacket and up to find Hibah giggling and armed with another snowball. As soon as he looked up, she let it fly but he was a bit slow and it hit his arm.

"Abba getting slow," Hibah said giggling. Ever since discovering how snow could be compacted, she played with it until she noticed some people throwing it. When she looked at Sam, he looked a little sad so she decided to cheer him up by getting him to play. She had been sneaky the first time. Now she wanted to be out in the open. It was fun like when Angela played with her.

Sam was surprised at how well Hibah could throw and wasn't sure if it was because she was part god or she had been taking lessons from Angela. Either way, he saw the earnest face and gave a smile. He picked up a small wad of snow and tried to throw it so that it wouldn't hurt Hibah if it hit. He missed and was hit with another snowball.

It was a volley exchange. Sam would always get close but no cigar. He got hit a couple of more times and all the while Hibah was laughing at him. It was then Sam came up with an idea. It was Dean worthy but one that was harmless… at least it seemed like it at the time.

When Hibah fired her next shot, Sam turned his body so it hit on the square of his back. He then pretended to be knocked out and landed on his back. He kept his eyes cracked to watch for Hibah as she came out of her hiding place and walked closer. She kept calling to him and at first Sam was afraid she was going to cry and then scream but she kept coming closer like a curious cat. When she was practically poking him with her hand and calling her name for him, he opened his eyes and grabbed her and started tickling her.

Hibah squealed in surprise when Sam grabbed her saying that he caught her. She wasn't scared and ended up squealing with laughter when Sam started tickling her. She tried to fight back trying to tickle but Sam was quicker and she squealed harder. It ended when she inadvertently used her abilities to push Sam flat on his back and she climbed on top of him. "I got you Abba."

Sam took a deep breath as he looked up at the little girl wearing a smirk and sitting on top of him. He was grinning too and replied, "Yeah, you win."

Hibah giggled as she flopped forward and gave Sam a bone crushing hug, "You're fun Abba."

Sam tried not to say anything since the hug was rather tight. It seemed that when Hibah got excited, her powers took on a life of its own and sometimes she forgot that she had bone crushing strength. He did manage to squeeze out a chuckle and hugged the girl gently and sat up since he was feeling the cold from the snow. "You're fun too habibitti."

He had grown into the habit of calling Hibah by the pet name Angela first used. He had no idea what it meant but he got the gist that it was an endearment of some sort like 'sweetie'. Every time he said it and Angela was around, she always got this little knowing smirk but she refused to say anything. He kept using it even though he didn't know but never in front of Dean since it seemed like anything showing affection towards Hibah was a joke to his brother. He didn't know was that the affection shown towards Angela was a joke. At least Angela and Hibah understood and never called him out on his minimal use of affection.

Hibah released Sam and got off to let Sam get up. "Ima said I have to know how to stay hidden and be fast just in case."

Sam wondered what Angela had been teaching Hibah. He knew that she wanted the girl to be able to defend herself but that didn't mean give her chapter and verse on what was essentially her adult world. "Why?"

"Ima said that it was better to be fast. Best defense," Hibah explained as she dusted herself off. "I almost fast as Ceebee."

_I can imagine that_, Sam thought as he dusted the snow off Hibah. "Wow. That is really something."

Hibah was tired of playing in the snow and started tugging on Sam's hand. "Walk," she said.

Sam gave a slight smile thinking that he was going to have to take the lead and remind Hibah to ask instead of demand what she wanted. It was a futile gesture at best since he and Dean virtually were pushovers. Angela was the disciplinarian and Hibah knew she couldn't get away with much when Angela was around. Still he gave it a try and didn't move. "What do you say?"

Hibah knew what Sam was asking and decided to have a little fun. "Walk with me Abba," she said.

Sam looked down at Hibah. He could see her game. "Walk with me Abba what?"

Hibah frowned as in thought. She then said, "Walk with me Abba to the woods."

Sam knew that Hibah was playing. It was a childish version of Angela teasing him and Dean to the extreme. Angela was more elegant, if he wanted to give it a positive description. She poked at the smallest of things and pet peeves but she knew how to word things and in the end they had laughs. This was just… cute. "Walk with me Abba to the woods what?"

"Walk with me Abba to the woods and talk."

Sam gave a look at Hibah who was giving him the look he knew he was guilty of. He could give in now but then that wouldn't speak well for his discipline. He continued as before, hoping that Hibah wouldn't get the idea to go into elaborate and impossible feats just to get him to quit, "Walk with me Abba to the woods and talk what?"

Hibah knew that she wasn't going to win this round and knew exactly what Sam was asking for. Usually she was able to get her way with the look but this time it looked like Sam was changing things. Giving in she said, "Walk with me Abba to the woods and talk, please?"

Sam smiled, relieved that he wasn't the first to give in. "Okay."

Hibah smiled and grabbed his hand and started trying to pull him along. To most people it would look like Sam was indulging the girl by pretending to be pulled along. In reality Hibah really was pulling Sam along like an overeager dog that loved their walks. Most folks wouldn't have believed in the first place that the little girl was not normal in any sense of the word.

Sam did what he could to not fall over and tugged back to indicate that Hibah was to slow down. He was relieved that she caught the hint and slowed down so he could relax a little. He asked, "Where did you want to go?"

"Just walk Abba," Hibah replied as she slowed to a snail's pace in terms of walking. She grew thoughtful and then asked, "Abba, why is Ima sad?"

That was turnaround and out of left field. Sam wasn't sure how to respond to that so he decided to try and draw it out, "What do you mean habibitti?"

"Ima looks sad like having a secret kind of sad," Hibah replied, not sure how to describe it. "Yeah like having a secret sad."

"Why do you say that?"

"Ima says it is between you and Amitz but she looks sad." Hibah looked up at Sam as if trying to figure out if it was something he said or did that made Angela sad. There was some confusion and curiosity mingled in there but mostly concern. "Ima doesn't talk much. Is that why she sad?"

It took a moment but Sam managed to piece together that Hibah had been observing what was going on. Angela may have put on a seemingly normal face but Hibah saw right through that and couldn't understand why. He wasn't quite sure how to explain this one to her. "Well… Ima is not sad. She's worried."

"Doesn't look like it Abba," Hibah protested as she frowned. "Did Abba make Ima sad? Abba makes Ima happy. Why would Abba make Ima sad?"

_Was I this bad with Dean?_ Sam wasn't sure of what to make of this line of questioning. Apparently what was supposed to be an adult conversation turned out to be something that was overheard by someone who should have been in bed or otherwise occupied. "Uh…"

"Ima needs Abba. Abba fought for Ima."

"I know and we help Ima. Sometimes Ima does things that she keeps a secret mostly for you." Sam had kneeled by that time to be eye level to Hibah. It was difficult in the first place to explain as an adult but it was even harder to try and explain to someone who was roughly six years old in appearance. He could tell she was trying to understand and tried something else, "You know Ima loves you right?"

"Yes."

_Okay, safe on that one._ Sam cleared his throat a little, "Well there are some things that Ima does and they aren't always nice but she does it because she loves you. She wants to keep you safe. She feels bad sometimes and she looks sad." When Sam finished he felt that he may have screwed up on this one but he did reason out why Angela was what she was even if it was in a simple childlike fashion.

Hibah thought about it for a moment. Then she said in a solemn tone, "Ima still needs Abba." She then switched into a more playful one and asked, "Abba play with me please?"

Sam had no idea what to make of that conversation but it seemed that his responses satisfied Hibah for the moment. The switch from the serious tone to the more lighthearted one was more like a whiplash. He stood up and looked down at Hibah who was pulling on his hand for him to join in some game she wanted to play. It was an interesting situation and it was times like these when he wished Angela was around to explain things but it seemed that he was on his own with this one.

In the end he put it aside and acquiesced to play with Hibah. Mostly it was hide and seek and it turned out to be rather fun. Of course Hibah made things interesting and would throw a snowball at him. They ended up chasing each other until Hibah was worn out and Sam carried her back to the cabin to wait for Dean and Angela to get back. Of course as Winchester luck would have it, he fell asleep holding Hibah cuddled against him and asleep and this was how Dean and Angela found them.

* * *

"I don't know what you did Angie, but the guy's fiancé looked like she wanted to kiss the ground you walk on," Dean leaned against the Impala while Angela was looking up at the walls of the hospital.

It was later than she had intended but she needed to do a thorough job and she wanted to give the guy a fighting chance. She managed to get something out but it wasn't enough and she knew that if she dug, the guy would probably be worse than the vamp vegetable she last did this on. She did manage to prod enough to give Don a fighting chance in terms of recovery. That he was no longer catatonic was a result of that.

Angela knew that she probably should have stayed and said her goodbyes but she didn't. As soon as they had what they needed, they left and had the nurses' station page the fiancé. She was already out the door while Dean had been flirting with the nurse a little. He also got a good view of the fiancé's reaction. Now she sighed and looked around and replied, "I just do what I can."

Dean shook his head at that simple explanation. That was weak in his opinion but it said a lot. "I know. I can say that trick could come in handy." He opened the driver's side of the Impala and got in. He watched as Angela just looked around tiredly and then got in. "You okay?"

"Just tired."

"You sure?"

"It's been a month or so since I gave Sam a memory and that was a first. The last time I did what I just did, years. It takes a lot of energy and I was a crappy student learning this," Angela replied as she rubbed her hands together. "Just tired."

Dean wasn't too sure. He wasn't going to say anything though. He didn't want to make a mountain out of a molehill. Besides, he knew the risks too. He figured that a lot of energy was necessary for some of the mojo stuff she knew and she was not a full blooded vamp. "Okay."

The Impala began to move its way back down the road and towards the resort. It was slow going since there was snow on the ground and there were projections that there was a storm moving in to lay in a fresh layer of snow. Dean listened to that and commented, "Looks like the skiers will be happy."

"Looks like it," Angela replied as she studied the sky. She watched the clouds as she thought about what she had pulled.

"You know I tolerate that spaced out look from Sam. You are another story. So spill." Dean glanced over and looked at Angela. He didn't want to say anything but her being quiet was like when they were on their way back after the deal was made.

Angela turned to look at Dean. That was the problem when pulling a memory. It felt like one of your own and you had to sort it out. The last time, she went into hysterics and that was when she promised herself not to do that again. She had understood then why it was that only full blooded and the elders did that. She had considered that promise when she tried to explain to Sam what happened that past summer. She decided to break it and show him and that started her on the path to this.

_It's in your nature my pretty. You are such a beautiful creature. Willing to suffer for the sake of many. Disgusting of course, but beautiful all the same…_

That voice was as clear as if he were sitting next to her in the Impala. It haunted her ever since she made the agreement with Ares. It was a reminder from the grand master of torture; his way of letting her know what she truly was… at least how he had presented it to her in the pit. Then he sent Lenya after her to remind her.

"Angie?"

Angela blinked at the sound of Dean's voice. "Sorry. Just thinking."

"You've been doing that since we got out of there. Seriously Angie, did doing that mind thing do something to you?" Dean wasn't sure he wanted to hear it but he knew he did. This was serious stuff and if it did do something, that was on him and Sam.

Angela thought about what she wanted to say. She knew no matter what, anything she said would send Dean on a guilt trip and if Sam got wind of it… Better to just lay it out there. She was just tired of the whole thing. "There are always consequences to using spells and anything in the supernatural. The wolfsbane cure is an example of that."

"I hardly think that counts."

"The end results ended up killing the vampire or they lived but forever changed or something."

"You lived and you're half vamp. That counts for something," Dean countered. He made an adjustment to stay on his side of the road. "But tell me straight, what happened? I know you… answered the questions."

"I know Sam told you about his experience. He never would have asked me if he didn't." At Dean's look, Angela gave a smile. She knew her boys well. "I know he described it as actually being there. The same applies to me when I pull a memory from someone… It's in my head and that kind of thing doesn't go away easily."

"So his memories are in there and are like yours?"

"Simply put… yes. What he saw, it's like I saw it and my mind thinks I experienced it since I was reliving it through his eyes," Angela replied. She took a moment to pause and gave a small yawn. "The process itself is draining in energy…"

"But the memories are side effects," Dean finished. He couldn't be angry since they asked and she agreed to it and probably against her better judgment. And it wasn't because she was a power hungry freak but one who genuinely would jump off a bridge if she thought it would help. "Any idea how long they'll be there?"

"Um… always," Angela replied quietly. She looked at her hand with the scar and traced it. "It won't be vivid but still there. I can still remember the first time I did this."

"I won't ask but I'm guessing that it is something that you wished you could forget."

"If I think about it. The beauty of this is that it becomes lost and at that point I know it's not mine so in a way it is almost forgotten." Angela made a slight toss of her head. "It seems to be a thing that affects half breeds. The full blooded vamps just get a recording sort of and then…" She shrugged her shoulders. "Seems like my kind gets the short end of the stick on big stuff. Anyway, that's why I don't use it frequently."

"I wouldn't either but isn't it the same as possessing?"

"That's a little different."

"Hey you possessed Sam when we thought you were dead. I never even got to ask what it was like." Dean looked over at Angela and saw the blush that rose. "That good eh?"

"It… was nice to be in a body that wasn't perceived as weak."

Dean chuckled at that. She liked it and she was not going to tell about it. That was fine. "Alright I get it. I knew you would remember that. It was interesting to see Sam do the same moves you do and your little war cry thing… that I never want to hear again." He smiled a bit and sobered, "I'm not upset Angie but I am worried but if you can handle it… I'm cool with it."

Angela nodded as she smiled. She reached over and gave Dean a shoulder pat. "It'll be fine."

"I hope so Angie. I mean our guy saw something but he couldn't give us a good enough description," Dean replied as he made a turn down the road that led back to the resort. "I don't know if we need silver, iron, salt or fire to get this thing."

"Well it scared him enough and he was a Marine who had seen combat time in Afghanistan or something like that," Angela replied. "The one consistent thing I'm getting is the hair and claws but even that was sketchy."

"I guess a hike is in the question."

"If you're an idjit," Angela replied using the expression Bobby would use. "It's the same mistake Larry made and it was in broad daylight."

"You have a point but we are smarter and the best about it," Dean countered in his cocksure manner. He managed to get the Impala up the road and to the resort. From there it as a rather slow drive to the cabin that they were in. "The thing is what about Hibah? I mean we can't leave Ninja behind alone."

"I'll stay with her. I always do."

Dean looked at Angela. She needed to go on a good and honest hunt. She had been staying behind and teaching Hibah and doing Sam's job of research. She wasn't that bad but Dean knew she needed some action. "You know me or Sam could do it. We decided to be in this together when it came to raising the kid."

"I know but…" Angela looked out the window as Dean pulled up to the cabin. "She is my responsibility and… Dean I know you have made comments about becoming attached to things and the like…"

"Hey I get it. You don't need to explain it to me. You and Sam were lost day one. Me, it took longer." Dean killed the engine and looked at Angela. "It ain't a crime to admit that you love her. And think of it this way, you can actually say those words to her even though you'd like to say it to Sasquatch."

"I feel like she's mine even though she's not and… it's not supposed to be like that."

"Can't avoid it and I know Ninja loves ya to death."

Angela nodded as she got out of the Impala the same time as Dean. "It just makes me wonder if Wosret really thought it through when she asked me to protect her. I aim to do it still and to the best of my ability."

"She wouldn't have picked ya if she didn't know ya. You said it yourself that you both were raised like sisters. As far as she's concerned, you're family just like you're family to me and Sam."

Angela thought about it for a moment and gave a slight smile. She looked over at Dean as they started climbing the steps to the porch. "I guess you did become a bit wiser in most things during your time away."

"Well I make it a point to know," Dean replied feeling a bit uncomfortable at the praise. He was used to it from her but sometimes when it hit home, it felt different. "Come on, let's see what damage Sam did with Ninja. Then we can talk about a plan for this thing."

Angela gave a chuckle as Dean fished in his pocket for the keys to the cabin. He put the key in and got the door open to find that the place was quiet. They walked through the cabin and came across a curious and cute sight. Dean couldn't resist and took a picture of it after making a few 'adjustments'. He was still grinning while Angela was giving a look that was like a parent humoring a child. He turned to Sam and said, "Rise and shine Sammy."

* * *

**A/N:** Aww Sam and Hibah have a moment and it seems little Hibah knows things. Hmm... Dean and Angie share a moment and Angie actually confesses she's really attached to Hibah. Stay tuned for next time on Solstice Beginnings...


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"So it didn't work?"

"It did but just not the way that we would have liked," Angela replied quietly as she pressed the glass of water to her head. She did a mental rewind on what Don had fed her in terms of what happened. It was like playing crime scene investigator and she had near bupkiss on this except what was in her head and what she relayed to Dean.

She kept rewinding it to where Don had caught a glimpse of the thing. The claws were most distinctive but even that was blurry. It was like he didn't get a full view but she did get a full view of Larry who was pushing at Don to run away. Not very helpful but she at least had a good view of the claws and a mouthful of snow.

"Meaning that we still have to hike up the hill," Dean added noticing Angela pressing the glass against her head. It had him wondering if there was more to the whole thing with her head than what she was making it out to be.

Sam noticed and had fished out the migraine pills. He had no idea how bad it was but it was better to be safe than sorry. He put two on the table and quietly pushed them towards her. At the same time he replied, "But we don't know what to use to kill it, whatever it is."

"Minor detail," Dean countered.

Angela had opened her eyes and glanced over at Dean with an annoyed look. Sometimes he could just be… She noticed the headache pills on the table near her and the slight movement of Sam putting the vial away.

_He's always considerate… even if things are awkward._

Taking the pills she popped them and drank what was left of her water to swallow them. She gave a slight smile at Sam and turned to focus on the conversation. She could tell that they had been arguing since Sam pointed out that not knowing what to use was not a minor detail but a major one.

_Well I can say one thing, I'm actually up for hunting this thing._

Maybe Dean was right in suggesting that she needed to be in on a hunt, at least the action part. He got that the parent in her was in overdrive with regards to Hibah and even said that it was okay. She figured that since Dean still was overprotective of Sam, especially when it came to asshats messing with him. At least she knew that he wasn't upset over her cutting Sam even though it still hurt on her end to do it.

Attempting to keep the peace, Angela said, "I know this didn't pan out but I think we should head up in the direction, take the guns and everything, and head up in the direction Larry and Don were headed in. Only way we'll know for sure."

Sam was not sure about this. This was almost like going in blind and he was not comfortable with this. "You sure?"

"Course she's sure," Dean countered as he shot a look at Sam. "Unless you got a better idea?"

"Yeah find out more," Sam countered.

"And where are we going to get that information, Genius?" Dean looked at his brother with the challenge in his eye. He didn't want to be a pain in the ass about this but at this point the best option was going out there and he had a plan to make it so Angela would be up there. It was going to have to take some good bullshitting and getting Hibah on his side to make it happen…

"Not going out there blindly," Sam countered, trying not to shout. Hibah was still asleep, at least he thought so. She had been worn out from her play that he wouldn't be surprised if she woke up late at night and asking for food.

In the meantime, Angela got up to put the glass away and to check on Hibah. She would let them argue this out. In the end even Sam would have to agree that it was the best choice. He didn't have to like it but he would agree to it. She had no problem with it because that was the best option in her mind and in cases like this, she always went with it… well mostly. If she thought about it, she could consider this to be like those little choice situations.

_Maybe I should have just worded that it was a done deal and leave it at that._

_ Are you kidding? That would just make them ask if you actually thought about it enough, especially from Sam._

Angela shook her head slightly as she softly treaded through the hall of the cabin. She had the foresight to make a sandwich for Hibah since Sam admitted that she played pretty hard today. She glanced out the window and noticed the shadows of darkness climb over. Since it was winter, everything got dark quickly and gave more time for the things that go bump in the night to come out. It was a heyday in Alaska with the thirty days in darkness and that kind of thing.

Angela treaded softly and opened the door that was Hibah's room. She smiled when she found the girl sitting on her bed holding Boomer and reading one of the children's books that Dean had given her. It was actually one of Sam's old books and one that Dean kept for sentimental reasons in one of their storage lockers and gave her when she learned how to read. Angela never questioned why and just let Dean give it and Sam didn't seem to mind either. "What are you reading my bijoux?"

Hibah looked up at Angela and with a smile she replied, "Reading about Abba."

Angela smiled back and peered at the book. She had to hand it to dear old Dr. Seuss. She understood why Hibah would say that. It was _Green Eggs and Ham_ and one of the characters was called Sam-I-Am. It had her wondering what Dean was thinking when he picked that book but she was chuckling all the same. She asked, "So does Abba like green eggs and ham?"

"Abba eats rabbit food. It's green," Hibah pointed out. "Eats eggs too."

Angela was sure that this was going to get out and Dean would have more fodder to tease Sam with. "Abba likes to eat healthy."

"Amitiz call Abba a girl," Hibah said as she turned the page. "Abba not a girl. Abba like Amitz."

"I know habibitti but Dean doesn't mean that in a bad way. It's his way of saying that he loves his brother." Angela didn't need to explain the relationships to Hibah since she picked up on it and she did assign them names making her and Sam mom and dad and Dean the uncle. "Just like how I call you my bijoux."

Hibah looked up at Angela as she thought about it. She nodded as she saw the sandwich on the plate that Angela brought. She then asked, "Time to eat?"

"For you yes," Angela replied as she put the plate on the bed. "We can't have you wither away now. We won't be able to see you." She gave a gentle tap to Hibah's nose and smiled as she watched Hibah respond with a smile and a giggle.

"Ima eat with Abba?"

Angela made a slight face but the smile was still there. "We'll find something. We just have work to do."

"Ima hunts?"

"It might be," Angela replied. If they went forward on the plan they had in mind, she may or may not be able to actually go. Hibah couldn't be left by herself unless she had someone with her or something like Cerebus. As much as she would like to go on a hunt, she knew she had responsibilities that to be kept.

"Ima go hunt with Abba. Will find it and make sure it won't hurt peeples again," Hibah replied as she took a bite of her sandwich.

Angela wasn't sure of what to say with that. She was aware that Hibah was exhibiting abilities that sort of had a premonition tone to it or it was related to something like Wosret's ability to look into the hearts and souls of men and read them. Or it could be an angel thing. It was an interesting ride in terms of seeing what popped up and what didn't and she was well aware that it would be a great experiment for someone less morally inclined than Sherlock.

Before Angela could say anything though, she noticed something outside Hibah's window. Frowning, Angela got up from her perch on the edge of the bed and went to the window. She then said something in Arabic at Hibah and the girl obeyed quickly, hiding in the closet with Boomer and her sandwich. She shut it after saying what she had been taught to say just in case and prepared to wait.

Meanwhile Angela looked out the window. It had been brief but she had seen it. It had been watching her and Hibah. That she was certain of. Looking around and hoping to spot it again, she did. It was moving quick meaning that she didn't have much time to spare. She was quick though as she left the room and started on a quiet sprint. Along the way she grabbed her chakram or rather it flew to her hand as she headed through the cabin.

Sam and Dean had noticed the change and recognized Angela's footfalls, the tenor of them. They had grabbed their guns and were looking around when Dean caught something out the window in the living area and had motioned for Sam to follow. That was when Angela appeared holding her chakram and she stopped to look around. Neither of them said anything but Dean headed back to where Hibah was just to be on the safe side while Sam essentially covered her six while she stood there moving her head in that funny way of hers as if trying to listen and see.

Angela had to pause when she got to the living area. She could hear sounds outside but she wasn't going to charge unless she had clear access. She looked and listened as she heard the sounds that almost sounded like dogs fighting. She could hear movement and used her hearing to follow it. When she came to the main window, she saw it even though it was for a moment. It was enough and she jogged on her toes. Once she was near the window, they opened and she leapt out and landed in the snow. Her recovery was quick and she was in a crouched ready position.

The scuffles and the growls were still going on and she managed to lock onto it. She took off in the direction she picked up on and made her way there. Whatever it was, it was coming close like when Luca saw it. A small thought occurred to her that if she caught a glimpse of what it was, then they would have a better idea of how to kill it. Her main thought was more of chasing it and if she was lucky, then killing it out of her desire to keep Hibah safe.

Angela ran along, well aware that she was without a coat and in the snow once again. Sure it was déjà vu of a bad memory but her thinking was on the one track of protecting what was her precious bijou. She came to a stop in a clearing. She could see the lifts in the distance and she was a fair distance from the cabins. A perfect place to lay an ambush of sorts.

Pausing, she listened. It was _way_ too quiet and she held up her chakram and moved it into a position to use it each time she moved to look around. She gave a tentative sniff to see what she could smell but all she caught was the wetness from the snow. Now she knew how the dogs felt when they got thrown off the scent. She couldn't see the shape that was lumbering and climbing closer towards her back from the trees and she couldn't smell it since it was downwind.

Suddenly Angela felt a heavy weight land on her back and she was pushed into the snow. It was thick enough to cushion the pressure otherwise she would have had crushed ribs. She didn't let go of her chakram however and in a reflex reaction, she brought it behind her and sliced a part of the thing that landed on her.

The thing roared in pain and it allowed Angela to throw it off. As she whirled around, it charged at her and she grabbed it and allowed her body to fall. As she rolled on her back, she used her feet to throw it and vault it with the momentum that the thing already had. She felt the hair but she didn't have a good grip to yank anything out but she used her chakram to deliver another slice to the thing's body just as it started its flight over her. She heard the thump against the tree but it wouldn't keep the thing down for long.

Standing up, Angela felt her teeth elongate while her eyes flickered and she brought her chakram up. She was ready for the thing when it tried to distract her by sending a wave of snow her way. It covered her and allowed the thing to get in close but she used her reflexes and countered. It was like wrestling with one of the Old Man's pets that were too dumb to think but were quick and could deliver a painful blow.

It was fast and some of the things she did could be considered a nifty special effect done on wires and with a really good stuntman. Angela was able to keep up until she got a back hand that sent her flying back. She landed hard and slid in the snow for a distance. She was in a bad position since the thing had the advantage and could take her out and she had lost her chakram and she was out cold. So she didn't really see something else come out of the forest and tackle her attacker.

She did hear the snarls and growls and her eyes opened to that. They grew fainter and she heard the telltale sounds of retreat and a chase. As much as she wished she could have seen it, her head hurt and she was trying to clear it while on the cold snow. She did hear her name being shouted and the familiar footsteps of Sam coming up.

"Angie?"

Sitting up with a little help from Sam, Angela shook her head as she processed everything she saw. She even went through what Don gave her and came to one conclusion. She looked at Sam and said, "Wendigo."

* * *

"I don't know if you're crazy or just plain stupid. What were you thinking?"

Angela gave a slight look in Dean's direction and replied, "I was doing my job. Protecting my cub." It came out funny and not the way she intended but the point was being made. She rubbed her temple where the wendigo hit her.

"Taking on a wendigo? All you did was piss it off," Dean countered.

"It attacked me and I defended myself," Angela calmly replied as she examined her person. Her back was a little sore but she had no broken or cracked bones. More likely she had bruises and they were not going to be a pretty sight if they were as bad as the one that was forming on her face; the same one that Sam was attempting to help her with.

Sam had followed Angela but he was nowhere near as fast as she was and she was running in snow. Still he was able to pick up her trail from the disturbances in the snow and the faint sounds of her footsteps. They had turned into snarls and hisses and it prompted him to move faster. When he finally caught up with her, she was getting up from apparently being knocked over.

It was like déjà vu when he found her in the Bitterroot Mountains but this time she was fully conscious and attempting to get up. The upside was that they didn't have to worry about hypothermia or something like that but that didn't dispel the concern he had since he had noticed the red mark on her face as she attempted to sit up. He couldn't even tell if she had a concussion or not but was prepared to do the whole 'how many fingers I am holding up' routine.

The first thing she said when he helped her up and tried to get a look at her face was the word 'wendigo'. At first Sam thought she was suffering a concussion but changed his mind the moment when she repeated that their fugly was a wendigo. Of course Sam didn't want to discuss it further until he got her back to the cabin and then she could explain and here they were now with her explaining and Dean as usually thinking she was crazy.

At least Hibah was sound asleep after having been gotten out of the closet by Dean. He had been the one to put her to bed since it didn't seem like a good idea for Angela to be walking in there with a nasty bruise forming on her face. That would lead to awkward questions and even more awkward answers as they tried to figure out what to tell the little girl. Dean volunteered since Sam had already gone to pick up the bag of medical supplies.

Sam tried not to say too much and it appeared that Angela didn't want him to since Dean was just relieving his anxiety about what happened. Sam could get why Angela would do that and he understood her response. Hibah was hers in her mind and she was going to do what she could to make sure she was safe. It was a known deal that Angela loved children if the kids from Lakota were anything to go by so to Sam it seemed natural that those protective instincts came full force and it was tempting to feel sorry for the guy that got the brunt of it. Also on the plus side she managed to get a good look at the fugly and they knew what it was. "At least we know what we're up against Dean," he said as he pulled out the jar of wild yam and handed it to her.

"Yeah and fast and ferocious here decided to find out by charging in blindly," Dean pointed out, more upset that she could have been seriously hurt than the fact that she went up against the ting alone, "Sam you know how these things move."

"Yeah I do but it's okay. Angie's not seriously hurt and we know what it is," Sam replied, trying not to make the situation worse.

"And it could come back," Dean pointed out.

"No it won't," Angela replied as she peered into a wall decoration that had a mirror on it. She applied a bit more right where her temple was. She was probably overdoing it but it was better than too little. Hibah was going to ask questions anyway but it was better to make it so that the kind of question was different. "The owner was astute enough to put Anasazi symbols around the place. Roof edge."

"And that makes you running off chasing after it better?"

"Don't be a nanny, Dean," Angela replied as she glanced at Dean. "I did what I did and it's done. What's important is that now we don't have to tote everything up the mountain."

"How do you know it went that way?" Dean made a slight face since he had been basically told to butt out. He was just worried since she still seemed a bit out if from earlier. Hell Sam medicated her even if they were migraine pills.

"I got a really good look at it," Angela replied as she finished. She could tell that it was going to look a sight in the morning and she loathed the idea of using makeup gain but she was not about to give the impression that her boys hit her. She turned towards the boys as she screwed the cap back on, "A really damn good look. Plus Don's memories helped in clarifying… as little as they were."

Dean winced slightly at the nasty bruise that was starting to form on her face. That was twice or three times she ended up with a bruise on her face. It had him wondering if she had one of those issues of trying to purposely make herself look bad or something like that. He knew she didn't injure herself on purpose… well he took that back since she did cut her hand with her own thumbnail but she had grief to deal with then. "Damn that's nasty," he muttered and he couldn't help it.

"It looks worse than what it is," Angela replied. She took in the expression Dean had and then glanced at Sam who looked like he wanted to touch her face and check for himself that it was okay. He was the one that usually did touch her to treat injuries so she could understand that. "We do know that I hurt the damn thing. I always knew that chakram was good for something."

The comment was meant to be a little funny but for the two boys it was hardly that. They knew that by hurting the wendigo, it just set themselves up for one pissed off fugly that would probably like to tear them to pieces. Dean did manage to say, "Considering that it is like Absolution, which brings me to ask why that and not your sword?"

"Closest thing available," Angela replied with a shrug. She went to go put back her yam concoction and zip up the bag. "Easier to handle like a knife."

It would have been easy to continue the conversation and maybe argue some more but it was agreed that a good night's sleep was the best thing and since they were protected by the symbols on the cabin, they could rest easy… sort of. It was at this agreement that it was noticed that there was some disparity to the rooms.

Hibah had her own since it could hardly be expected for her and Angela to share a full size bed. Angela was almost as tall as Sam and that would have been awkward even though she said she had slept on things as small as a window seat. The other room wasn't much better since it only had one queen size bed and neither of the brothers were willing to share a bed.

Angela made a slight raised brow and opened the cupboard where the spare blankets were and started heading towards the couch. She was stopped by Dean and he snatched them out of her hands and took over the couch saying, "Big brother. I win."

Sam rolled his eyes at that knowing that if she wanted to, Angela could pick up Dean and toss him on the floor and take the couch for herself. As it were she was not going to get into that and just raised her hands in a whatever gesture and went to go to Hibah's room, muttering to herself. Sam knew she was probably going to pull up a chair and sit like that all night. Casting a dirty look in Dean's direction even though he couldn't see him, but Dean gave him the finger in return, and went after her. "Angie, just take the other one."

"I'm not the one going on a hunt in the morning."

Sam gave an annoyed look at her. After the excitement of tonight, he knew she was going to be itching to take on that wendigo and finishing what she started. That was how she rolled. "Don't give me that. You and I both know that you want to go out there and hunt the damn thing."

Angela looked up at Sam. She had taken more painkillers before seeing to her face and they weren't headache pills. They had loosened her tongue quite a bit, "After what nanny bull dog bitched about? Let's face it, if you two had your way, you'd chain me to Bobby's house."

Sam raised his brow at her choice of names for Dean but he got a good look at her. She was alert but he could recognize the signs of good drugs doing their job or run of the mill painkillers. He became a little worried that she might have other injuries that she was intent on hiding but he wasn't going to ask since he remembered the last time. He chose his words carefully, "Sometimes the things you do make us want to do that but you're a hunter like us and you assume the risk too. We just care about you."

"And a pair of nannies you turn into," Angela replied but there was no heat in her words. "But appreciated all the same."

"Angie just take the other one. Please." Sam tried the puppy eyes.

"Don't try that. That's low even for you." Angela looked at the bed and then the floor then at Sam. "Take the bed. The floor is more comfortable."

Sam sighed. She was not going to make this easy. This was definitely going to be a long night.

* * *

**A/N:** So looks like plans are made and they found out what it was. Looks like Angie might be a little loopy. Stay tuned for next time on Solstice Beginnings...


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Sometimes that girl makes me want to tie her to the very bed she sleeps in. Why didn't you do that Sam?"

Sam wisely said nothing. He could feel his ears burn slightly at Dean's declaration mostly because his brain went to the gutter on that. Only it wasn't Dean tying her up but him, and he had said something similar the night before. That was really bad and he prayed that Dean wouldn't notice.

Dean looked at his brother as they walked through the grounds. They had seen the footprints outside the cabin and a fair distance away and they could confirm that they were from a wendigo. So all that was left was to make a couple of homemade flame throwers or even find a flare gun and then start the hunt. Before they did that, they had to find their missing dhampir and her little ninja.

Dean could see that something was making Sam blush and he figured that it had something to do with Angela. Sam always blushed when he had been caught thinking about doing something naughty with her. It only proved to Dean that Sam was very attracted to her but the kid kept getting embarrassed and thinking that it was plain wrong. He grinned as he asked, "You threatened her with that last night didn't ya?"

"Dude, reality, not porn," Sam replied trying to get the focus off of him. Dean would have been able to tell that he had been being a pervert.

"It's not the first time," Dean reminded Sam in a careful sing song.

"Shut up. Just… shut up."

Dean gave a faint chuckle. This was too good. Sammy was getting there if he was having fantasies about Angela. Oh he had to admit that he was guilty of that too since it did tickle his fancy the moment he mentioned tying her up to the bed. "Alright so let's just figure out where Ninja and Angie are and we can get this done."

"Dean, I don't think she should go up."

"She's bored Sam," Dean replied, "She's bored but she's too nice to say anything about it." He paused a moment before adding, "You know as well me that she has this whole duty thing first. Even if she were sick with a cold, she would do her job. You said it yourself she doesn't ask for much."

"I don't mean that," Sam replied, "Just…" He didn't want to admit that he had seen the bruises on her back, near her shoulders. He hadn't meant to peek but she did forget to close the bathroom door all the way and he caught a glimpse of them as she pulled off her shirt. He had badgered her the entire way until she was in bed and asleep and it hadn't been easy since the drugs were making her into a petulant toddler.

"Okay long as we have that clear." Dean looked around. "Where would she go?"

"Breakfast?"

"Ya think?"

Sam gave a slight shrug and rolled his eyes. He started walking towards the main lodge since that was where the breakfast buffet was. It was a minor thing that Dean forgot and more likely would have sprung on if he knew about it. Besides it wasn't that unusual for her to get breakfast without them since Hibah seemed to be like Dean at times and always seemed hungry. Angela had been trying to get her into an eating routine that didn't look like she was torturing the girl with food.

He remembered one time he was actually up early enough to go with them. Hibah had surprised them by saying that she wanted the hungry man breakfast or whatever it was. Actually Angela seemed more amused by that at the time. He had made a comment about her eating habits in the beginning and she kicked him under the table in response.

It wasn't a hard kick but he felt it just the same and she scowled but it was playful. By then Hibah was asking for it again and Angela agreed. When the waitress came by with their order, Angela surprised her by ordering two. Sam decided to indulge and ordered one as well. The waitress asked about Hibah and Angela looked at her with a straight face and said that she already ordered for Hibah. It was a funny moment and it must have shocked the poor waitress to find that all three had actually been devoured. He couldn't help but give a small smile at the memory.

They weren't at the buffet and that had Sam frowning in a puzzled manner. Dean he didn't worry about since he saw the food and was making a beeline for it. From the looks of things, he was going to be busy. Sam shook his head slightly and started looking. This was the last place to look for her and Hibah. There was no other place they could be in since he and Dean checked almost everywhere else and Angela wouldn't do something stupid and take Hibah where it was dangerous. So they were here unless…

Sam knew he was going to work himself up into a fit if he kept this up. So he just calmed down and focused. Sometimes with Angela you had to think outside the box. Focusing he was able to notice that a small crowd was gathering nearby but there was no chatter from them. Frowning, he walked over to see what it was and that was where he heard it.

Being used to hearing Dean's rock and roll, it was rather surprising to hear something that wasn't what was normally used in that genre. The last time he heard that instrument was when he eavesdropped on her playing it at the Academy. Sure enough, when he peeked through, he saw Angela sitting at the piano and Hibah was sitting next to her.

The tune, he thought sounded familiar but he couldn't place it. He was more focused on watching Angela playing the piano, her fingers seeming to dance over the keys as she looked down at nothing in particular, playing the tune. Her expression was one that spoke of concentration. Blatantly it reminded him of when she stared at Liam when he was singing.

Hibah was sitting and watching Angela with an intent expression, much like when he was telling her the story. Sam noticed how everyone there was just standing and listening to the piano as Angela played through. It was short but within that little piece, it seemed to carry a lot even as the last notes died on the piano. Then as if the spell were broken, everyone dispersed leaving Sam there.

Hibah was the first to see Sam and climbed down. When she was close enough she asked, "Did you listen Abba?"

"I did," Sam replied. He looked up to see Angela talking to Luca as she got up.

"Ima danced," Hibah continued. "She danced and made music."

It was a peculiar turn of phrase but Sam indulged. "I see."

By that time Angela joined him. She looked at him and then said, "We were waiting. I thought Hibah wanted to eat but the little rascal wanted to see the piano." She gave a slight smile as she gently tugged on the pigtails that Hibah was wearing.

Hibah hugged Angela around the waist and giggled. "See peeno."

Angela put a hand to her brow while Sam tried hard not to chortle at what Hibah said. It sounded funny even though it sounded wrong. He tried doing what Angela was doing since it seemed to be working for her. He was grateful that no one was staring as he managed to say, "Um okay. So do you want breakfast?"

"Breakfast, please," Hibah asked.

Angela made a slight motion and let Sam lead the way. Hibah went on ahead when she spotted Dean really brining to life all you can eat. It allowed Sam to ask, "Feeling better?"

"Just a few bruises. Nothing that makeup won't hide," Angela replied with a low tone that was pleasant.

She gave no indication that she remembered anything from the night before and Sam was relieved. It would save them the embarrassment. "Okay. So do you want to go on the hunt?"

"I'd be lying if I said that I didn't." Truth be told, Angela had thought a lot about that while she had gotten Hibah and herself dressed. She did want to go on a hunt that wasn't a run of the mill salt and burn. She didn't want to stay behind. In other words, she was as Dean described to Sam; she was bored.

"What about Hibah?"

"Discussion. I think trying to get Cerebus up here would be out of the question."

"Maybe," Sam allowed. If Hibah had to be alone, he would prefer Cerebus since that mutt watched her like a hawk. He was her companion when she played and Angela was busy with research. It could work if Angela went with one of them and the other could stay with Hibah. It had worked that way before so it would be no different.

"Like I said, discussion though I think Hibah may have made an executive decision," Angela replied as she smiled a bit. She pointed to where Hibah was sitting next to Dean and they were eating off the one plate.

"She seems to get her way a lot. What happened to discipline?" Sam looked at Angela with a teasing grin.

Angela looked at Sam and replied, "She gets it. I think it is something that comes from her mother's side. A rare thing I think since most on her mother's side tend to be a bit disconnected from people. Some are more connected than others." She then shrugged her shoulders and added, "Or she picked up a few tricks from Dean."

Sam could agree with that. It seemed that Hibah and Dean could be as thick as thieves with their little schemes. He could just imagine what they were planning when Hibah pulled Dean close to her to whisper something in his ear. That spoke of trouble and he hoped that it wouldn't spell and even bigger trouble.

* * *

It was a lot different looking at the signs of battle in the daylight. Things that were missed before were picked up and added to the puzzle. Angela crouched by where the tracks of the wendigo were when it decided to turn tail and flee up the mountain. Her breath was coming out in plumes of smoke as she looked at the tracks.

The wendigo pretty much ran back up the mountain. Angela tried to think of what might have sent it off with its tail between its legs. Something had to since wendigo tend to stay on their prey until the end. She knew it was something else but she couldn't figure out for the life of her what it was. Even a replay through her mind wasn't helping and that was probably because she was down with a nasty bump and her back was to the action.

"So any idea why the wendigo would just leave you alone?"

Angela looked up at Sam from her crouched position. "Not really. My back was to the action. Could be something else but virtually harmless to the resort."

"You really think so?" Sam didn't mean to sound like a doubting Thomas but most of the things that they had come up against that were not the exceptions were not inclined to be friendly to people.

"Don't know but I do know that it saved my bacon… or it was you shouting at it," Angela replied standing up. She put her hands into her navy pea coat and looked up the trail. There was a way to make sure it was the right trail. Thing was that only occurred if she felt the pull, if she was concentrating. Would it just show up if she did it like the other stuff?

Sam sighed at that knowing that she was intending the comment to be funny but otherwise saying that she wasn't sure about it. He glanced in the direction of the cabin and prayed that Dean wasn't spoiling Hibah and that things were okay over there. He looked back and saw Angela walking towards a nearby tree with her hand exposed and reaching out to touch the tree. He remained quiet as he held his shotgun and grateful that the flare gun was in his jacket pocket.

Angela touched the tree and she felt the familiar pulse she remembered when touching the furniture in the Morton House. At least this time she wasn't overwhelmed by the power of the place. She focused for a moment and got her confirmation. "This is the trail. They both went up this way."

Sam didn't question it. He had seen enough to know that when she did her mojo, it was usually spot on. He followed her as she started up the trail as she put her hand back in her glove. The weather was forecasted to be freezing today and there was a storm moving in. It wasn't expected until nightfall but if they got this thing early, they would be back at the cabin and that would be the end of it. Maybe they could have a couple of days before heading out.

Holding onto his shotgun, Sam followed Angela. He wasn't quite sure how it came to be him and her going after the thing but Dean found the whole idea mildly entertaining. Sam knew Hibah had a role in it since she had a way of picking who she was going to play with during down time. Mostly it was Angela if they were doing a lesson, him for whatever game that involved the moose and Dean… he didn't want to know but he was grateful that she hadn't picked up the innuendoes or anything reality to porn reality.

As he was walking, he didn't realize that Angela had put some distance between them until he looked up. "Angie, wait up."

Angela had been plowing through. The trail had grown thicker with snow and it required cutting a bit of a trail. Looking up, she figured that the wendigo used the trees to get around and that would certainly be better than trying to cut a trail. She had to break it so Sam could follow. Of course the thing with that, it was hard work and she had to pace herself. She wasn't wearing snowshoes, thank God, so she was using her body.

When Sam called her name, she was beginning to pant. She stopped and turned to see how much distance between herself and Sam. The droll thought that she was running again struck her and she mentally told Haley to shut up. She sat on a boulder to wait for Sam to catch up and took a look around. It really was a sign of winter with the snow all around. It made sense to play the tune she did that morning even though Hibah asked her to play something about the pretty winter.

She knew the words to the tune well since they had been taught to her by Philadelphia a long time ago. They were meant to speak of the cycle of death and life… death was not necessarily the end but new phase or something like that. She had forgotten that in her preoccupation with the current situation and her guilt of hiding her bargain with Ares. It was not a bad one per se but nevertheless she had her personal experience with deals and they often weren't always a good thing. The more she thought about it, her moods of depression and determination were like that song. It was weird and would require more deep thought and that was best reserved for thinkers like Sherlock. Still it was an interesting thought.

Looking down, she saw that Sam had managed to catch up and she said, "Huffing and puffing and I already broke the trail for you." She gave a smile to show that she was teasing.

Sam made a face at that, "Right because you can outrun a freight train."

Angela countered, "Yes I can though I can't leap tall buildings in a single bound but I can run across them." Her expression was serious as she said it.

Sam couldn't help but chuckle at that. It had been a bit of a hike and there was still a ways to go. He knew that she was just breaking a trail but he was surprised that she managed to get that much done and hardly break a sweat. "We haven't even gone halfway have we?"

Angela looked around and thought back to Don's memory. That was a particularly handy thing with that trick. She recognized some things from that and was able to say, "Not yet but we are on the right track." She stood up and dusted the snow off, her nails clicked on her chakram.

Sam took the opportunity to brush a bit of snow off her shoulder. It surprised him that she seemed startled by the gesture but she held still and in the end was fine. He asked, "Snow in your collar?"

Actually it wasn't that. Angela had been startled by the gesture in that previously Sam's tone had thrown her off and even though she made the effort to be friendly, she couldn't shake that feeling of disquiet. Sure she teased and joked but whatever it was that had Sam not be Sam, she wanted to know but was too respectful to ask. So she lied, "Something like that. Breaking a path is hard work ou know."

"I take it you've done it before?"

"That and run dogsleds for jobs and for a race," Angela countered and added to that to detract from the little incident. "That was fun seeing the looks on those guy's faces when they see me run a dogsled race."

Sam wasn't too sure if she was kidding or not. He didn't have trouble believing that she could do something like that and did do. She did say that she had seen many things happen over the course of history and had even alluded to them. "You ran a race?"

"Dogsled. It was how I learned cutting trails," Angela replied. There wasn't much need to cut a trail anymore since the snow was compact but that didn't mean that they could take it easy. Sometimes there was a chance of getting your leg sunk into a heap of snow. She reached out to grab Sam before he nearly broke his leg and held fast to his arm.

Sam felt the tight grip and the pull. "Whoa what the…?"

"Sink hole waiting to happen," Angela replied as she released Sam's arm. She looked around and found a good size rock and dropped it right where Sam was going to walk in an attempt to walk beside her.

Sam watched as the rock dropped out of sight. "Damn."

"Could've broken your leg. Then I would have had to carry your heavy ass through the snow, back to the cabin and have Dean bitch about Bambi legged Sasquatches or something," Angela replied with a slight twang. She looked at Sam and added, "Just make like ducks for now." She then continued on her way up.

Sam felt his lips twitch at her twang and guessed she was imitating a movie she had watched recently or remembered. He noticed that she was playing it safe and stuck to the middle of the trail and decided to follow. "I take it you've done this before."

"Not through snow," Angela replied as she walked. They had reached halfway up to where Don remembered the last thing before he passed out. She could see the boulder where Don hit. The snowfall on the way up covered everything but by touching nearby trees with her bare hands, she could see it. "Through a mine field. Humanitarian work gone bad," she offered as the only explanation.

Sam blinked at that. And he had the nerve to put up a fuss every time she did something dangerous on the job. "What happened?"

"Usual. Politics," Angela replied as she squinted. She had been listening to the sounds of the forest. They had been getting quieter and her senses went on alert. "Was there for another job and I just happened to be caught with the humanitarians. Red Cross I think. Got them out."

Sam noticed Angela getting tense and raised his shotgun. It was just going to piss the thing off more but he could say that it was a relief that Angela brought not only her chakram and knife which were hanging at her belt, but she also brought Absolution slung on her back within easy reach. That would guarantee killing the thing. He just didn't relish that she would have to get close to it but what was he complaining about? She actually punched the darn thing the night before. "You seemed to have traveled quite a bit."

"What I get for being considered one of the best," Angela replied as she increased her step and seemed to run on her toes.

She came to a clearing and stopped to look around. There were no sounds. No birds or any other critters that might be out there. She looked and saw a claw mark on a tree and some fresh blood. She took a sniff. Definitely not human. "We're getting close."

Sam was right behind her and stayed close. He saw the claw marks too and noted how fresh they were. When she sniffed the blood, he didn't blink but rather took in how intense she was. She then turned and made a waving motion to sniff the air, trying to pick up the scent. He remained quiet to let her concentrate while he kept an eye out, noting the quiet. It was that kind of quiet that brought a chill down your spine or gave you a twist in the gut to tell you something was wrong.

"This way," Angela said in a low voice. She had one hand extended forward as if to brace for attack but she was walking like cops would when they were moving in to clear a scene. She had picked up the scent and was following it.

The claw marks became more apparent and frequent so she slowed down. This was the wendigo's territory now. They had to be careful. Slowly she pulled her knife out and held it ready to use while her other hand was near her chakram, just in case. She went slowly and gently pushed branches out of the way to advance.

As she moved forward, she saw something. It moved fast but she could make out the shape of it. It definitely was a wendigo and it was looking at something else. She couldn't see it but she heard animal like growls and snarls. She turned and motioned to Sam that it was there.

Sam nodded and slowly pulled out the flare gun. He was about to hand it to Angela when she was grabbed fiercely by the shoulders and pulled out. The movement caused the snow on the brambles to fall like powdered sugar. "Angie!"

Angela flew through the air and landed in the snow. She rolled after landing but she wasn't hurt. The snow cushioned the fall. She had dropped her knife and Absolution slid from her back. When she stood up, she saw that it was between her and the wendigo. She couldn't help it, "You are one ugly sonofabitch."

The wendigo growled at her and started forward. It was a sprint race and Angela took the challenge. Running on her toes, she headed for her knife and dove for it just as the wendigo leapt at her. Her hand closed around the hilt as she slid underneath the wendigo. Her momentum though carried her to the other side of the clearing where she stopped. It was then she heard a sound and turned her head.

The move cost her and the wendigo would have been on top of her if Sam hadn't come through with a shot from the shotgun. The wendigo bellowed in pain and started towards him. Angela was up in a flash and actually leapt onto the back of the thing and together they collided with Sam and teetered on the edge of a hill.

The uneven weight distribution was too much and all three went over the edge and started rolling down the snow covered hill. They rolled and the momentum increased as they went downhill. Sam managed to grab a hold of something and nearly pulled his arm out of the socket when he grabbed Angela. For the moment it looked like they were okay. The last thing either of them saw was a huge body coming towards them and bellowing and claws.

* * *

**A/N:** A family moment at breakfast and Angie has mad skills with the piano. Looks like it's Sam and Angie on the hunt and the wendigo is pissed. What happens next? Stay tuned for more Solstice Beginnings...


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Dean couldn't help but worry since it was in his nature. Anything that involved Sam and was potentially dangerous, he worried. If it was extremely dangerous and involved Angela, he was worried. Sam was his little brother and Angela was his best girl. Sure he knew that they could handle themselves in any situation; he'd seen it but he was the big brother it was like the first thing in the manual for big brothers, though he knew that he couldn't really pull that card with Angela.

He was being the babysitter because he said he could do it and Hibah actually wanted him to be the babysitter this time. It seemed that she had fun with her Abba and now she wanted to have fun with her awesome uncle or whatever it was that she called him. He wasn't sure what it meant and his appeals to Angela fell on deaf ears and he figured that she knew what it meant but she wanted to make him suffer and look it up on his own. He held out so far and didn't ask or attempt to find out. He just let Hibah call him that and one time a cute Jewish girl cooed saying that it was cute. So he scored on that one.

The other reason for his being with Hibah was that he got her on his side to send Sam and Angela up together. From Dean's view, the more that they talked, the more that any outstanding issues between them existed were resolved. Since the job required a hike, it provided the perfect opportunity and he knew that it would kill Sam eventually if he had to endure _that_ long of a silence even though they could do that.

It was not an attempt to get Sam to see Angela other than the ever protective sister or sister that needed protecting, and Dean was willing to bet that the latter was the first thought. It was just an attempt to get them back on friendly footing. He had noticed that Angela was treading a tightrope act when interacting with Sam, like she wasn't sure of what to make of it. Sure he had witnessed some lapses in that like when Sam pinned her that one time a little longer than necessary, but it was like she was… he couldn't describe it. He just noticed it more after they left Bobby's and then that whole thing where she seemed troubled about how Sam spoke to her.

The thing after Bobby's, he figured that it had to do with what he found out why she kept her distance. If she thought that Sam would be pissed at her for trying to kill him even though she wasn't really since it was a setup… the point was Sam would understand. It was more like it hurt her to do it and she couldn't tell Sam the real reason why. Dean knew she wasn't going to make the first move or say anything because she didn't want to make Sam feel obligated or ruin what little she already had.

To Dean, while entertaining, he thought it painful as well. He had seen how she looked; she wanted to tell Sam but she felt she couldn't and it was kind of pathetic. Dean wasn't mean but he could tell that his girl was stuck in a time when it was the guy that made the move first and if he didn't, then it was suffering in silence. He didn't blame her really since that was who she was and it was the era she grew up in.

"Ima will be okay."

Dean turned to see Hibah holding onto Boomer and looking up at him. The kid was like Angela in that she could be sneaky. It was why he called her Ninja. He asked, "You sure about that Ninja?"

Hibah looked up at Dean with childlike certainty, "Ima has Abba. Abba will always protect Ima."

_You got that right kid_, Dean thought to himself. Out loud he replied, "Well we look out for each other. That's what family does."

Hibah shook her head to disagree, "Abba will _always_ protect Ima. Abba _fought_ for Ima."

Dean wasn't sure where this was going. He wasn't sure if it was one of those things that was related to Hibah's god or angel powers. He knew what she was saying but just not what she meant. HE replied, "I know that Ninja. Sam always watches out for her."

Hibah shook her head. It was something that her Amitz wasn't going to understand just yet. He would though. Granpa Bobby did and didn't seem surprised when she told him that Abba would always protect Ima and would fight for her. She wasn't going to go too much into that now since she didn't understand it herself but she knew it. "Abba watches out for Ima. Amitz watches out for Abba and Ima watches all."

The way how Hibah made it sound it was like it was rather one sided in terms of who watched out for whom. Yet Dean managed to conclude that Hibah was on a different train of thought. Her vocabulary was simple and she wasn't quite sure how to explain things. "Well we are family Ninja. That's what we do. We look after each other and we look after you because you're family."

Hibah nodded in understanding. She took Dean's hand and held it. "Amitz play with me now, please?"

"Sure thing kid."

Hibah smiled as she pulled Dean over to where she was playing a game with Boomer and a few other toys that had been packed for her. Dean had watched her play before and she was extremely creative in terms of what she played. She mostly played what she called the hunting game and pretending things were the fuglies that they hunted. He knew that Angela tried to keep that world away, at least the gritty details but it seemed inevitable.

Dean sat where he was told to sit and was handed a doll. He was a little reluctant to play Barbie with Hibah but he liked, okay loved the kid. She reminded him of when Sam was that age but she had her own charm that endeared herself to him and he knew he would defend her to the death. He looked at the doll and then at Hibah and asked, "What are we playing Ninja?"

"We working the case," Hibah replied as she put Boomer down. She placed him aside with another doll that was sitting there. She picked up two more and added, "Ima and Abba together and Amitz needs to save them."

Dean looked at the doll he held and nearly yelped in surprise. "What the…?"

The doll he was holding was a very real lifelike version of him. It was dressed like how he liked to dress and even had a miniature version of his amulet. The thing even had his signature smirk on it. It was rather creepy since he half expected himself to feel the pain of having a pin stuck in it.

"That's fairy story Amitz," Hibah said as she adjusted her toys on the ground.

Dean looked at Hibah. Did she just read his thoughts? What else did Angela know that she wasn't telling? It was something to ask later. At the moment he was interested in the dolls. He peered at the two Hibah was playing with and noticed that they looked exactly like Sam and Angela. He looked over at the doll next to Boomer and caught the look of flannel and a trucker hat. No way. He had to asked, "Who made these?"

"Ima." Hibah picked up a stick that she had collected outside. She put it in her Angela doll's hand. She then picked up the Bobby doll and handed it to Dean. "Ima make them. I asked they look like my family."

Dean raised his brow. They were really well done. He knew that Angela was good with her embroidery work. The shirt she made Sam was proof of that. He knew that she art history but this was high quality craftsmanship. "Your family?"

"You, Ima, Abba, Granpa Bobby, Ceebee," Hibah held up Boomer. It was a St. Bernard and Dean had bought it because it looked more like Sam. Big and gentle but could be fierce. She held Boomer in her lap and then added, "I know Ima not my real Ima but I love Ima all the same."

Dean was surprised that Hibah would know that. Angela had tried to be upfront with Hibah when she was old enough to comprehend things but that flopped since Hibah continued to call them the names she gave them. "You know?"

"Ima didn't tell. I peeked. Not supposed to do that," Hibah replied looking a little scared. "Ima say that it not nice to peek unless you ask."

Dean figured that Hibah meant that she saw into Angela's mind or something like that. He had borrowed Sam's book that talked about the Nile gods and how they met. He actually was proud that his little brother read porn albeit the elegant kind but that was beside the point. One part talked about Satet and her ability to see into hearts and souls. It was a lot of flowery language and he wasn't sure that he understood it completely. He figured though that it was a trait that was inherent to this family. Hibah had to have gotten it from her mom.

He could see that Hibah looked scared. Apparently Angela had been strict on the no reading minds thing. She had good reason for that since she was that good at it according to Sam since he mentioned what she did to those biker guys. "I'm sure you didn't mean to. Angie will understand."

"Ima said no unless I ask. Ima say the head is private."

"I know Ninja," Dean replied trying to reassure Hibah. She knew she had broken a rule and she was extremely sorry. "Angie just is trying to protect you. She knows what happens when you don't ask." It was not really the best explanation but considering that his girl had a headache afterward that memory thing she did and she still had those memories… it was too difficult to explain. "She knows that sometimes people peek and they don't mean to. She still loves you."

Hibah looked at Dean. It seemed to be a good explanation to her. "I peeked. I saw Ima's pictures. Ima worried. Always worried."

Dean knew it wasn't a good idea to keep this conversation up but he was curious. She always had peculiar conversations with him and Sam before she switched gears and went back to whatever game she was playing. "What is she worried about?"

"About Abba, about Amitz… me. No worry about Ima," Hibah replied. She put something in doll Sam's hand. It was a mini model of a shotgun. She then put was unmistakably a mini version of Absolution on the back of the Angie doll and the chakram on. "Ima worry 'bout pictures in your head Amitz."

Dean realized that Hibah was talking about his nightmares. He still got them and he thought a lot about what he had mentioned to Sam and Angela about what he did in the pit and his memories. He hoped that Hibah hadn't been eavesdropping like Sam had a penchant to do. "What do you mean?"

"Ima loves Amitz," Hibah said as she put a small handgun that surprisingly looked like Dean's Taurus in Dean's hand so he could put it in his doll's hand. "Ima wishes Amitz would talk to her. Now Amitz talk to Ima and Ima feel better. Now worried about Abba. Ima not sure about Abba."

Dean realized that this little girl probably saw and heard things when they assumed she was supposed to be doing something else like sleeping. "What do you mean?"

"Ima think Abba upset with her but Abba loves Ima. Abba don't see it yet," Hibah replied. She looked at Dean and added, "See heart pictures."

That answered the mystery. Hibah could see into hearts and souls. It was still a confusing thing but now Dean understood. "I see. Well Ninja, it's a complicated thing that they have to work out. It's best not to say anything about it. Just keep it a secret between you and me. Okay?"

Hibah nodded, "Otay Amitz. We knows Abba don't see love for Ima yet and Ima love Abba but scared." She beamed and grabbed Dean's hand. "Amitz will help Ima."

Dean chuckled at that. He was already doing that. "You're a smart kid Ninja. You're gonna be okay." He picked up the doll he had been holding and looked at it and put the Taurus in his hand. "Okay so what are we playing? What's the case?"

"Ceebee with Bobby. They hunting. Abba n Ima went hunting but something happened. Big nasty tried to hurted Abba but Ima protect Abba. Something happen to Ima. Ima is Ima but not Ima," Hibah explained. She used the dolls to animate the story she was telling. She was holding the dolls of Sam and Angela and moving them. "Not Ima attack baddens and eyes glow. She not like black eye baddens and really not like Suit Man. Abba hurted bad n make Ima madder."

"She gets madder?"

"Yes. Ima get madder. Not like other times. Much badder." Hibah demonstrated with her doll. She fluffed up Angela's hair and positioned the limbs. "Ima like Ceebee baby," she added.

Dean frowned. Cerebus with offspring? That was creepy. Sure Angela made reference to puppies that belonged to hell on four legs, but that was just plain weird. "Cerebus' puppy?"

"Yeah. Ceebee baby. Sweetie but har… harridan. What's a harridan?"

Dean had a good idea but he wasn't sure how to explain it. He held his doll and replied, "Um… I don't know. What happens next?"

"Ima save Abba from bad hurt but she hurt herself. Ima always doing that," Hibah replied in a sad tone. "Ima loves everybody." She sighed a bit. She continued with her story, "Ima fall in deep sleep. Can't wake up. Abba badly hurt n can't do it. Amitz," she paused to point at Dean's doll, "Amitz only one. Amitz help Ima fight nasty inside head. Only way to save Ima."

Dean could admit that he had come up with some interesting stories to tell Hibah when she asked for one from him or Angela. This though was the most detailed that he had ever heard of when Hibah played or told a story. He looked at Hibah who was looking at the Sam and Angie dolls and stroking the clothes with her fingers. She appeared to be thinking. "Where's Bobby and Cerebus?"

"No," Hibah replied. "No here." She continued to stroke the clothes on the dolls. "Amitz need to save Ima. Make things better."

Dean looked at his doll upright in his hand. The Sam and Angie dolls were on their backs. Hibah was looking forlorn. "Any other stories?"

"Abba and Amitz save Ima." Hibah replied. She picked up the Sam doll and put the Absolution sword in Sam's hand. "Ima hurted. Old baddens hurted Ima. Abba mad, very mad. Abba find Ima with Amitz but not happy. Ima hurted bad."

Dean thought that this was getting a little too graphic for Hibah. They were very distinct. He was wondering if she saw more than what she was supposed to when she peeked in Angela's head and was confusing them with them. He wanted to ask more but the way that Hibah was looking at the dolls… he had a better idea. "Well, don't worry. Me and Sam will always look after Angie. That's a promise."

"Pwomise?" Hibah looked up at Dean.

"I promise Ninja," Dean replied. He was greeted with a hug that could have choked him. He returned the hug and cradled the little girl as she snuggled in. "Okay then. How about I read you a story from one of the books I gave you for Christmas?"

"The one about Abba," Hibah automatically replied.

"Okay," Dean replied as he miraculously managed to get up holding onto Hibah. He put the doll down and went to go get the book she wanted before settling on the couch with the little girl. He kept his thoughts to himself as he read the story and hoped that Sam was doing a good job of watching Angela.

* * *

Sam opened his eyes since he felt the cold snow on his cheek. It was cold and was effective in getting him to wake up. His body felt sore but nonetheless he was in one piece and relatively unharmed. He turned over to find he had a light covering of snow on him. Sitting up he dusted himself. He couldn't figure out where he was since the last thing he remembered was the tumbling off the edge and the wendigo falling on him and… "Angela," he whispered.

Sam scrambled to his feet. He managed to find his shotgun but didn't see Angela. "Angie? Angie!"

Sam knew he couldn't wander aimlessly in a direction. He had to look in the general area first and work his way out. She had to be around somewhere. Looking around, he saw broken brambles and disturbances from their tumble. "Angie? Come on. Talk to me."

Angela felt groggy as she opened her eyes. She had claimed that she was hardy and that was true given her race and the genetics. However, her body was still human and she could feel every ache from the weight of the wendigo and probably the bumps and bruises she sustained on the way down the hill. She was definitely feeling it as she pushed herself up to get to a seated position.

She had been dusting herself off when she heard Sam's voice. She called, "Over here."

Sam came through the snow following her voice and found her. She appeared relatively unhurt except for the bumps and bruises. No doubt he looked just as bad since they did just roll down a hillside. "You okay?" He looked her over and actually moved her arms to see if they were injured and didn't notice the raised brow she gave.

"Aside from bumps and bruises but otherwise okay," Angela replied. She was taken by surprise when Sam grasped her chin and inspected her face. Mostly he was looking at her eyes to make sure her head was okay. "Sam, I'm okay up here." She tapped her temple to make a point.

"Sorry. Just that wendigo hit you on the way down… I think."

"A big pain, I know," Angela replied as she made to get up. As soon as she stood up her left ankle gave out and her leg buckled. She gave a short gasp of pain but was trying to keep from falling.

Sam saw her fall and reached out to catch her. He caught the gasp. "Whoa. What is it?"

Angela was grateful that Sam had caught her. She gasped as she tried to steady herself but her left wouldn't take the weight. "My left. Ankle."

Sam helped her sit on a nearby rock and found that was even hard for her. It didn't help that the snow was deep either. Once he had her on the rock he lifted her left to take a look and moved it. The foot winced under his hand and grimaced. He even pushed her foot against his hand to test it and the hiss was enough.

"It's not broken if that's what you're worried about," Angela said as she hissed. When Sam looked at her, she said, "If it were broken, you would know it."

"You broke it before?"

"Sam you were there when I broke my hand," Angela replied as she took a couple of deep breaths. Her foot was going to swell but she couldn't take her shoe off there. It was impractical. "And I've broken bones before that. Believe me, I know the difference."

Sam knew that. How could he forget that? He looked at Angela and sighed. "Can you walk?"

Angela wriggled her foot. It was sore and it hurt when Sam applied pressure. It was a really bad sprain and there might be a fracture in one of the ankle bones. She wasn't going to worry Sam further about that. Fractures did heal fast with her. The trouble was that she could walk, but they wouldn't get very far. "Hobbling but we won't get very far and that's not good."

"Tell me about it."

"No I mean that it's not good period."

Sam looked at Angela. "What do you mean?"

"I looked it up this morning. There is an expected storm tonight and temperatures are expected to drop to record lows," Angela replied. She pursed her lips. She certainly didn't expect this and they didn't even have a clue about the wendigo and where it was. They were in trouble. "We could get started but we need to find someplace like a cave, build a fire and dig in. We won't make it back by night fall."

Sam looked up at the sky. The sky was a light gray but that didn't mean that it would stay that way. He knew that Angela was right and if she was hobbling, then they wouldn't get very far. Still it was a start. "Okay. So do you know where we're at? Direction?"

"What am I a freaking compass?" Angela couldn't help it since she had been feeling her ankle. She could feel a fracture. Damn, the fall was hard enough to fracture her ankle. Then again it didn't help that the wendigo fell on her after Sam grabbed her. "A road map?"

"Forget I asked," Sam replied. He could do this. Dad taught him and Dean coordinates and how to do that survival training stuff. All part and parcel of the Marine stuff they learned as kids. He knew the cabin was to the east so…" There was no sun out. "No sun."

Angela managed to calm down since the fracture did hurt painfully. She replied, "I know but north is that way." She pointed in the direction of north. "So that means that due east is to the right." When Sam looked at her, she replied, "The growth patterns. Things that don't require a compass."

Sam made a slight sound. He couldn't stay upset for long with her and he cut her slack since it was her ankle and she was in pain. He could see it visibly on her face and he suspected that there was more to it but wasn't going to press. "Thanks."

"Hey, teamwork," Angela replied as she stood up. She was glad that Absolution was still on her back and her chakram nearby. Her knife was another story though she did remember stabbing the thing when they went over. "We better get started. The sooner we find a trail, the better. We might get lucky and come across a cave."

Sam was more than willing to agree to that and moved stand beside her. He moved her arm so that it was over his shoulders and his arm wrapped around her waist. They started off heading up and over. It seemed to be a good idea at the time.

Angela was right in that they weren't going to get very far but they were making good time she pointed out. She did have to point out that they might have to dig in literally and build the fire in the hole. That wasn't a delightful prospect but Sam knew it was the difference between staying warm and freezing. It also meant making Anasazi symbols to keep the wendigo away.

"Angie, you wanna stop?" Sam's question was legitimate since it was starting to get dark and he thought he saw a couple of flakes falling.

Angela looked at Sam. Her ankle was throbbing and she wanted nothing more than to take off her shoe but that wasn't an option. She replied, "We got to cover as much ground as we can."

Before Sam could say anything something brushed snow over them and knocked Angela over. Sam fell as well but nowhere near Angela. He looked up to see the wendigo. It had something sticking out of its back and it was roaring mad. Sam could see that the wendigo was between him and Angela and she was grimacing. Her ankle was doing bad.

Sam started to get up but he didn't have anything to kill it with and Angela had Absolution. The flare gun was lost. Sam took a step and the wendigo turned towards him, growling. It was one ugly thing and it was pissed and the claws were out for him. His throat convulsed as he took a step back and the thing came towards him like a predator ready to spring.

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like there's more to little Hibah than meets the eye as she talks to her Amitz. Sam and Angie are stuck on the mountain and a storm is coming. Throw in teh wendigo... will Sam be able to protect Angie? Find out next time on Solstice Beginnings...


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Angela grimaced in pain. The sudden rush from the wendigo hadn't helped matters at all. She had a fracture and her foot was swollen. She also had Absolution, which was about the only thing they had to kill the thing. One good swipe across neck was all that was needed in order to kill the damn thing. Looking up, she could see that there was no way she could get it to Sam. The wendigo was between her and Sam and the current target was Sam.

Normally she would have used the distraction to sneak attack. The problem was that she couldn't get to her feet to do it. She could throw her chakram but the best she could do was piss it off even more. She tried getting to her feet but her foot sank in the snow and the pain was a lot.

Suddenly something pounded out of the woods and leapt over Angela and onto the wendigo. Sam was started by the whole thing and took a pounding to the chest when the wendigo was pushed forward. It hurt like hell but he was okay and had moved.

The thing on top of the wendigo was… nothing he had seen before except once and that was a sketch. So the things really did exist. He didn't doubt it. It was just that all that he had were the sketches and what Angela related to them before he found her on the mountain. He couldn't help but watch at the yeti went toe to toe with the wendigo.

Both had their claws out and were out for blood. To Sam it was obvious that the yeti was helping them out. He recalled that yetis were helpful creatures in general, helping lost travelers and were fiercely territorial. They were considered guardians of the mountain villages of Nepal and the Himalayas in general. The growling and snarls told Sam that their reputation was well lived.

As Sam watched, he tried to move towards Angela but the scuffling bodies were moving too fast and one movement cuffed Sam aside. He was lucky that he didn't hit anything harder than the snow bank that he fell onto. That didn't make it hurt any less though as he slowly stood up to try again but he couldn't see Angela.

At that moment, the wendigo bellowed and swiped at the yeti and gouged the shoulder. The yeti roared in pain and fell back. Sam could tell that it was a deep wound and it was bad. The wendigo was coming upon it ready to go in for the kill. Sam had no idea what to do. The shotgun was useless and he didn't have anything that would hurt it. It was at that moment he heard that unmistakable cry; she was around somewhere and he looked around.

Angela somehow managed to gather the strength to push aside the pain and get up. She pulled her chakram off her belt and gave her cry that was indistinguishable. It startled the wendigo and gave her the opportunity to make the best calculated throw that she had ever made and she had trained for years on that weapon.

The chakram proved true like it did when she demonstrated to Dean. It flew through the air and was headed right for the wendigo's head. However, the thing proved fast. There was a bellow of pain and claws and fingers stained the snow blood red. She had gotten the fingers and claws and in the processed just made it angrier. Well she could take that.

Even though she was favoring her leg, Angela remembered her training from Hapi. He taught her how to push past physical pain when she first broke her ulna from a strike to a shield she had been using. The shield had shattered but her ulna was broken and probably the radius had been fractured. Either way, it was useless but Hapi kept coming at her and teaching her. This was one of those moments.

Angela pulled out her sword and did a hobble step as she narrowed her eyes at the wendigo. It was battle and she would see it through. She gave a sharp yell as the she and the wendigo charged forward towards each other. She didn't even hear Sam's protests. All she had eyes for was the wendigo.

At the swipe of the claws, she ducked and at the same time swung with Absolution. It struck true and the wendigo bellowed and wheeled around. She was on her feet and hobbling but her concentration was still there. She didn't expect the feint and missed on the next swing. She was knocked over and by the time she was on her feet, the wendigo had been grabbed in a bear hug by the yeti. Not hesitating, Angela stabbed Absolution into the wendigo's heart and held it firm, twisting it deep amidst the wendigo's screams until it died.

Angela breathed in heavily as she watched the wendigo lie still. It wasn't going to come back. The sudden weight on her foot became too much and she fell to her knees still breathing heavily. It was comforting when Sam put his hands on her and looked over her to make sure she was okay and she said that she was. "I'm good Sam. Adrenaline rush."

Sam gave a slight shake of his head. That had been the craziest thing to date he had seen her do. Yet it was so like her. She ignored her own pain to get the job done. "You're crazy."

"Aren't we all?" Angela gave a slight smile.

A low moan got her attention. Looking over, Angela saw the yeti. He was loping strangely and the wound from his shoulder was staining the snow red. He collapsed, not able to move. Slowly she tried to get up but she couldn't and settled for a weird crawl and half assisted walk from Sam and got to the yeti. She sat on her knees and looked at the wound. "This is bad."

Sam looked at the wendigo. It hadn't moved so he could assume that it was dead. He then looked at Angela and her touching the yeti, "Are you sure you want to be touching it?"

"He helped us Sam. The least we could do is return the favor," Angela replied. She peered at the wound and figured some stitches were involved. She looked at the yeti, moaning on the ground. She couldn't help it and rubbed where his ears were and said, "It's all right. We're here to help." To Sam she said, "Can you get my knife and chakram please?"

Sam didn't know what she would need it for but went to get them. He grimaced at the smell of the wendigo as he pulled the knife out. He managed to find the chakram and carry them back to Angela. She had pulled out the travel bag that he had forgotten went everywhere with her and she pulled out her suture kit and a lighter.

Sam knew what she was going to do and fished out a water bottle and began washing her knife off. He then picked up the lighter and used the heat to sterilize it. It was crude but it worked. In the meantime Angela had taken off her gloves and blood was staining her hands. She had poked and prodded and could see that a claw was embedded in the flesh and caught fast. The knife would be used to excise it.

The yeti growled softly in pain but didn't move. His eye was on the human woman and her companion and their movements. They were not like the other one that he saved but was in a bad state. He had been injured by that foul creature but something wasn't right. He could save these two and they ended up saving him. He watched with a wide eye as the woman worked on his shoulder.

Angela gave a gentle smile at the yeti. She began talking in the language of the people of Nepal. Her accent was rough since she hadn't been there in years but it was passable and it seemed to relax the yeti. She gave a gentle and affectionate rub of his ear and said, "This will hurt but it will help."

It was slow and painstaking as she excised the wound to get the claw out. Once she had it out, Angela gave it look and tossed it over her shoulder. She then went to work on stitching up the wound. She chose the strongest threads she had so the stitches would hold but so he could move. She made them small and fast, occasionally rubbing her forehead and sniveling from the cold and an attempt to distract herself from the dull throb her ankle was. She was grateful that Sam was nearby and he helped when he could.

In no time she was finished with the stitching and cut the last of the thread. She poured the rest of the bottled water on the wound to cleanse the blood off and rubbed her nose and sniffed. She was feeling a bit cold since she had been sitting on the ground with her bad ankle stretched out and now she felt a little stiff. So she couldn't even move when the yeti started to move and get to his feet and just moved slightly when he turned his body around to look.

It was a good time to put the suture kit away and she did and with Sam's help packed it up. He slung the bag over his shoulders as well as Absolution before bending over, "Can you stand?"

Angela couldn't do anything about her hands except put them back in her gloves to keep them warm. The snow started to fall and the sky was growing dark. They would have to dig in soon. She grabbed Sam's hand and tried to pull herself up. She put her chakram on her belt but she couldn't take the weight on her ankle and her leg buckled.

Sam debated on what to do. He could see the pain etched across her face. No doubt that scuffle may have made things worse and they were nowhere near a good place for him to take a look and make sure they didn't freeze to death. Still he could keep going and find a place that would provide some protection and build a fire. He said, "Don't argue with me," and in one motion scooped Angela up in his arms. It was going to be awkward but possible,

Angela didn't expect the move from Sam. She didn't even expect to be carried bridal style but he was doing that and she was too surprised and surprisingly too tired to protest. She put her arm around his neck to hold on as he started. "Sam, we need to…"

"I know," Sam replied softly. "Just need to find a place with some shelter."

He started walking, carrying his awkward load. He didn't go about ten paces when he came face to face with the yeti. It was looking at them both with a strange expression. Sam didn't know what to do. He couldn't tell if it was going to attack or what even though Angela helped him. His throat convulsed as the animal stared at him and he moved slightly in a protective embrace of Angela while still eyeing the yeti. He didn't have a free hand to work with and he really didn't want to drop her but he would protect her.

It surprised him when the yeti growled softly and reached out with its huge paw or hand and took Angela from his grasp and gently cradled her to his chest. It surprised him more when he found himself lifted up off his feet and put on the back of the yeti. The best thing he could do was to hold on as the yeti took off in strange lope into the forest and, much to Sam's dismay, in a direction away from where they were heading.

Sam wasn't going to be picky at the moment and he didn't know the intentions of the yeti. He just held on to the fur and prayed that the yeti wouldn't try to ditch him by making him hit a tree or something. He did manage to notice that the hairs were light but firm. He didn't have to worry about pulling them out as he held on.

It was an interesting ride and Sam was amazed that the yeti could move with the injury it had. He could see that the yeti was holding Angela with his bad arm while moving with his other three limbs. It was like how gorillas loped along, which was how Angela described it when they first came across yeti tracks. It was also a bumpy ride for him and none too pleasant when the yeti slid like a skier. He was the one that got the snow in the face and he couldn't help but make a face at that.

In no time at all, they were at a cave. The yeti slowed and approached with calm. He made some sort of growling noises as Sam peered over the shoulders of the yeti. The creature was looking into the cave and growling into it, like it was talking. Sam got to find out what was in there and almost lost his grip when a second yeti came out. It was much smaller than the male but still huge compared to Sam.

This one was a female yeti and her fur looked softer. Her eyes were bluish grey compared to the green blue of the male. She walked forward and nosed her mate as if to confirm it was him. Any other time, Sam would have been fascinated since yetis were considered like Bigfoot and a hoax, but as it were, he was nervous about what the female was going to do with them. He still held on to the male like a shield since it was the only thing that he had at the moment.

The female then turned her attention to Angela and sniffed her. At least that was what Sam was certain she was doing. Angela wasn't reacting in fear or anything but he couldn't tell for certain since he couldn't see and her non-reaction was hardly reassuring. It really made him nervous when the female sniffed the stitched wound on her mate's shoulder and then looked at him. Sam thought he was going to be chow for the thing. He certainly didn't expect to have his body plucked off the male and he was cradled to her chest, enveloped in the warm, light fur and carried into the cave, followed by the male still holding Angela.

_Thank God, Dean isn't around._ Sam peeked through the fur as the female moved. The cave seemed pretty deep but then again it seemed built to accommodate the size of the pair of yetis. It was even more surprising to find a huge cavern that looked like a 'living' room and it was covered with what he was certain was dried grass and possibly shed yeti fur. It was brown so he guessed it was the summer coat.

It was to one of these piles that the female yeti put him down. He half expected a drop but she put him down and turned towards her mate. He came up with Angela and put her down near Sam and lumbered away with his mate. Sam blinked at what happened and noticed that Angela was awake and looking around. He kneeled beside her, "You okay Angie?"

Angela blinked as she looked around. The cave felt warm but then again she was on a pile of yeti fur and it was light and warm even after it was shed. She looked at Sam, "I'm okay. Just the foot."

Sam moved towards her injured foot. Now it seemed like a good idea to take off her shoe and he did that, trying to be gentle. He did manage to get it off and feel her foot. The ankle was swollen and it was a bad sprain. She didn't do it any favors by that stunt she pulled with the wendigo but he was hardly in a position to scold her since he had done similar things. "That better?"

"Much," Angela replied as she adjusted her position. It was a relief to not have her shoe feel like it was cutting off circulation. She tried to reach for the bag that Sam had slung over his shoulders.

Sam saw what she was grabbing and handed it to her. He sat so he was facing her since there was nothing better to do. "Do you need help?"

"Um… once I figure out if anything is missing or not," Angela replied. She gave a sniff and wiped her nose. Her hands were still covered in blood and had dried into flakes. She undid her coat to allow her arms to move more and she didn't need it even more dirty.

Sam helped out by pulling things out of the bag. He laid them out within easy reach. It was habit but also she was looking for something. He picked up the small jar of her wild yam and moved to her foot. He removed her sock and tried not to wince at the faint bruising that had appeared. He dabbed some on his fingers and began to gently massage it in. By the time he was done, she had found the strapping and had it ready and he took that and wrapped her ankle.

"I was going to do that," Angela said softly.

"Too bad," Sam replied just as soft. He gave a slight smile in her direction. "You've done enough for one day."

Angela made a snort. It was gentle and it came out sounding funny. It was tempting to laugh as she replied, "I'm just getting started."

Sam chuckled as he finished wrapping her ankle. It already looked ten times better and that was not even taking into account her healing abilities. He ran his thumbs gently over his handiwork before gently putting her sock back on. "You were down for the count," he teased. "Besides it's been a while since someone helped you out."

"Didn't think you'd want to," Angela replied. She tested her ankle. She still wasn't going to be able to put weight on it but it felt better. "Considering…" She trailed off and sighed to stare into space.

Sam understood what it was about. At least he thought he did. He said, "Angie, I'm sorry about how I spoke to you earlier. It was just a… no excuse really. Dean and I were arguing and I took it out on you."

"It's not the first time."

"Don't do that," Sam immediately said, "It's not fair to you especially since you did nothing wrong. And I'm not mad about that fight with that bastard."

Angela studied Sam for a moment. "I was trying to hurt you. It was to the death, Sam," she quietly replied.

"I know and… I was trying to hurt you and I know I did and I hated it. I never liked it when you made me spar with you," Sam admitted. He adjusted his position and found that the yeti hair nest was very comfortable. "I can't see you as anything but a friend and family."

"And yet you are willing to punch Dean when he pisses you off," Angela replied. She adjusted her position and studied her hands and rubbed the dried blood off. "What makes that so different?"

"Because it's Dean," Sam replied. "We've been fighting each other on and off over stupid stuff. It's just different with you because you've never been anything but honest with us. I know there are things you can't or won't tell but when you do say something, you never lie. Not to us." He sighed and looked down before standing up. He wasn't sure if he should say more but he figured he had to make some things clear and then leave her to think for a moment. "Um… I'm going to see if I can find something to eat unless you have trail mix packed in that bag of yours."

Angela shook her head, "Must've fallen out. I keep it in the outer pockets." She tried not to clear her throat. It wasn't an awkward conversation. Sam was just basically telling her that he wasn't upset over the thing with Ares. He could be understanding when he wanted to and she got the feeling that it was something related to what Ruby had been teaching him. She didn't mind since she was admitting to no one except herself that Ruby did make a few points about fighting in a war. Hell she fought or lived through eight major ones and then there were the civil wars around the world…

"You gonna be okay? You know…" Sam gave a slight shrug as he looked at her.

Angela gave a slight smile at that. Sam was always the more conscientious about her health. Both boys knew that she killed carbohydrates like she could a full Christmas dinner… all eight courses and Dean was forever trying to get her to pig out like she did with his tacos. She had been training her body to take more near human portions since they split the first time. She would be okay even though she was hungry. "I'm okay. You?"

"I'm good."

They were interrupted when the male yeti came back. Angela looked up at the yeti unaware that Sam automatically moved to a protective position next to her. Her attention was on the yeti when he dropped a bunch of plants, edible plants, and along with what she was certain was a leg of deer. He was followed by the female who was carrying some wood. She raised a brow but managed to say in the language she had soothed the male with, "Thank you."

It seemed to please the pair and they moved to their area. Sam relaxed a bit and looked at what they brought. "Um I guess we're gonna be okay."

"It's what they do, Sam. They are said to guide lost travelers," Angela replied as she looked at the leg of meat. Venison was actually sounding good right about now. "Though why this pair is not in the Himalayas like the last one is beyond me. Still it is handy."

"So I'm guessing they aren't going to hurt us," Sam replied.

"No. The one who got me out from under the tree didn't," Angela replied. She picked up one of the plants and sniffed it. She dusted it off and began to chew it. "Hmm. Not bad."

Sam gave a slight smile and chuckled. He stood up and fished out the lighter. "I'll start a fire. Get this place a little more warm and cook that deer." He gave a teasing smile and added, "I can tell you want to sink your teeth into that."

Angela gave a mock frown and a playful swat to Sam's leg. "Don't tease me."

"I like a girl that can eat."

"So you're calling me fat?"

Sam chuckled as he put together the wood for the fire. It had been a long time since he had teased her about her eating habits and her ability to eat more than his garbage disposal of a brother. "Just pointing out the truth."

"So you are calling me fat."

Sam struck the lighter and lit a piece of moss that he found. It caught fire and he dropped it on the wood. "Just saying that I like it when you take care of yourself." He looked up and caught her eye as he fanned the flames. "Don't hurt yourself."

Angela had pulled the deer leg close to her and began skinning it and making strips that would be easy to cook. It wasn't gourmet like her dinners when she got a room with a kitchen and pestered by Dean. Still she was good at camp cooking. It was a gift. She had caught Sam's eye and couldn't help but love the man even though she only showed it through a smile. "I try not to," she replied.

It didn't take much time to skin and strip. By then the fire was nicely built and Sam managed to find a couple of sharpened sticks to use to roast the meat. He sat by Angela and started putting the meat on. He looked at the flames and said, "So you okay? Seriously?"

Angela looked at the flames and then at the plants she was making into an edible bunch. It was a forest salad so to speak but it would do and Dean could stuff it with the salad jokes. The question Sam asked felt like it was a loaded one. A lot had been going on the last few months and it only seemed that the reality of what was coming was fast coming down and it didn't help that her immediate concern was her Hibah being caught in the crossfire.

The bargain she had stuck with Ares… it was not bad like many deals she had seen done and executed. True she had no idea what favor the god of war was going to collect but he was a man of his word. He may be a bastard but he did have some semblance of honor. And yet she couldn't bring herself to tell even Sam what she had done. It was one thing that still tormented her in her dreams. Hibah had asked her about them.

Sighing she said, "Not completely. Just worried. About Hibah."

Sam could understand that. He was worried about the girl too. "Enough to worry you to the point where you push us away?"

"I'm sorry about that. I just had a lot to think about. I mean that was also a first that I scared the crap out of some guy without actually saying anything. I made him see what would happen and granted I probably made most of it up… some of it was from… things I've done." Angela cleared her throat slightly as she finished what she was doing. At least Sam was somewhat preoccupied with the meat.

Sam knew that she did things and she wasn't proud of them. "It's okay. I understand. I mean I get it since it is sort of like that thing with what Ruby was… showing me."

"Hard to talk about huh?"

"Not really," Sam replied. He looked at the raised brow and they both shared a chuckle. "Okay maybe a little but at least we do right?"

"If this turns into a therapy section please put me out of my misery."

Sam and Angela looked in the direction of another pile of yeti fur. It shifted slightly as Sam asked, "And who are you?"

The fur fell away to reveal a man who looked beat up. "Larry. Larry Thompkins."

* * *

**A/N:** Didn't expect that now did ya folks? More of the yeti in North America? Weird and it looks like Sam and Angie have to dig in for the night. Stay tuned for next time on Solstice Beginnings...


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The snow whirled outside. Dean rubbed his upper arms as if he felt the cold even though the cabin was pretty warm. There had been no word all day from Sam or Angela and with night fell, he started to worry. He had read about the storm moving in and it was too much of a bad memory when Angela was lost up a mountain. The difference was that Sam was up there too and he was down here and powerless to do anything.

The truth was that this was too much like when he and Sam went looking for Angela on that mountain and then he thought Sam was in trouble when in fact he did find her. This time he wasn't there and they didn't have horses to help them out. He could say that he was glad that they were together at least but that still left him with the worry that they were up there out in the middle of a snowstorm.

_Damn it Sam. What the hell are you doing up there?_

"Amitz?"

Dean turned to see Hibah rubbing her eyes and holding Boomer. She had been taking a nap after he read to her and played with her. "Yeah Ninja?"

"Ima and Abba come back?"

_That was sure straight out._ Dean knew he shouldn't be surprised about the whole thing since he had heard blunter things and they were comical and embarrassing. "No they haven't come back yet."

Hibah finished rubbing her eyes and looked out the window at the snow that was falling. She then looked at Dean and then back out at the sky. She seemed fascinated by the snow falling and Dean wondered if she was having a spaced out moment like Angela did at times. "Ninja?"

Hibah looked at Dean and said, "Abba keeping Ima safe."

Dean studied the little girl. In dealing with gods, his expertise stretched to actually killing them or surviving whatever crap they decided to put them through. The other stuff, that was Angela's territory and she seemed more at ease with them than should be normal since she would mouth off on occasion. That was some serious balls his girl had. "How do you know that?"

"Abba always keeps Ima safe."

"Yeah I get that. Sam will always do that for Angie." Dean was confused about that. If it was some bond thing then that was territory that was way beyond his expertise. He just had a crash course in the mind thing with Angela. It was creepy enough with what she could do and he could get why she would pretend it didn't exist. He kneeled so he was looking at Hibah eye level. "How do you know that they are okay?"

Hibah looked at Dean. With a hand, she reached out and touched Dean's cheek. It was then that Dean saw a flicker in the little girl's eyes. It was like watching Angela vamp out and he wondered if they had been wrong about the girl's angel half. "Ninja?"

Hibah looked at Dean. Then she spoke, "Creatures of the north in the snowy mountains. Guides to lost travelers. Protect those tied to this one. Guide them back through their journey."

Dean just stared at Hibah. She looked older than her six years with her eyes flickering like they did. He wasn't sure of what to make of it considering that what she said was like a prayer or something. When she had finished speaking, she stared at him for the longest time. She gently stroked his cheek like she was soothing a troubled child.

It certainly felt weird since the touch was on par with Angela's touch when she tousled his hair or gave a cheek pat. He wondered if it was a girl thing or a girl with freakish and cool mojo kind of thing. He cleared his throat slightly and ventured, "Uh… Hibah? Ninja?"

Hibah's eyes had returned to normal and she was still stroking Dean's cheek. She smiled slightly and replied, "Abba and Ima will be okay. Furry people will protect them."

That was not very reassuring to Dean since he was used to anything not human, with the exception of a few, not being on the friendly side. That was Winchester luck. "Furry people?"

"Yeah the furry people with the funny noses," Hibah replied. She took a step back to let Dean stand up. She then began to describe the creature. "They are furry with light and warm hair. They move like this." She then began to move like a gorilla loping.

"How do you know that?"

Hibah shrugged her shoulders as she looked at Dean. "I don't know. I just see like heart pictures." She held Boomer in her arms and her hands clasped in front of her. She gave a slight smile and shrugged her shoulders again.

_Definitely Angie's territory._

"Amitz, I'm hungry," Hibah said as she tugged on his jacket. "Can we get something to eat?"

Dean knew he couldn't ignore the pleas of the little girl. She was like Sam when it came to her meals. The whole experience that he had with the girl would have to be thought over later. He would ask Angela about it. A nagging thought occurred to him that she was coming into her maturity fast and the more complex mojo was making itself known. It was a nagging thought but he didn't know if it held water or not.

He could tell that the storm was getting worse. They couldn't get to the main lodge in this weather. It made sense now why the cabins were stocked. Of course there was the whole charge thing if you took from the minibar and fridge. There was also the food that Angela packed. It was that dried fruit crap Angela and Sam liked and he couldn't understand how Hibah liked it too. Then again Angela was on that strict routine of making a balanced diet.

"Amitz, I want Ima's fruit please."

Dean raised his brow at Hibah. After what he had learned about Hibah peeking into people's heads, he wondered if she did it consciously or sometimes she just got pulled in. "You want that?"

"Ima makes good apples."

Of course she would like the apples and they just bought some more from a farmer's market the day before they left for this place. "Okay, Ninja."

He walked over to the kitchen where the small bag that held all the dried fruit and nuts and apples were and opened it. He had to marvel that Angela did know how to pack. Before she joined up with him and Sam, it was always crappy diner food and fast food joints. He regularly ate his bacon cheeseburgers with extra bacon and onions and Sam would go for the girly sandwiches like turkey on rye or something. After Angela came along, things changed.

Sure they still ate out at the diners but it was punctuated with stuff she made and bought. She had gotten him to eat healthy things like her nut mixes. Her chicken and cheese casserole had broccoli in it. He had to admit that she provided some form of stability in their chaotic lives. She worried about their general health like a concerned mother would and the way she cared for Hibah… Dean couldn't help but smile as he opened the bag she had bought and found two different kinds of apples.

Dean frowned at them. He was used to red and granny smiths. He could see reds and then there were these tiny little ones. He picked one up between his thumb and forefinger. He wondered why in the world it was so tiny.

"Those are for Ima and Abba," Hibah said. She looked up at Dean with solemn eyes. She had followed him hugging Boomer close to her chest. "Ima and Abba special apples."

Dean raised his brow at that. He hadn't really seen when Angela had coaxed Sam into trying one of the tiny apples and the moment they shared. If he had, that would have been one more thing to tease Sam with. He replied, "Okay. Do you want one?"

Hibah shook her head, "No. Those are for Ima and Abba. The big red one."

Dean gently put the tiny apple back and pulled out a red. Normally they were small but this one was bigger than normal. He looked and found a small jar of peanut butter. He frowned at that. "What the…?"

"Nutter butter!" Hibah clapped her hands together. "Nutter butter please."

_Okay Angie you turned a baby god into a health nut_. Dean looked at Hibah who was beaming at him. Apples and peanut butter really weren't that bad a snack. He did make it a couple of times when he and Sam were kids. It was what they had at the time in terms of food. Even Sam had called it apples and Nutter butter. "Okay kiddo."

It didn't take much to slice two apples into bite size slices and open the peanut butter. He was going to hand the jar to Hibah but she looked at him with a slight frown. It was like the frowns that Angela gave him when she caught him wearing two day old socks. He asked, "What?"

"Ima said not to dip into the jar," Hibah pointed out. "Like spitting into it. That's nasty."

Dean gave a slight eye roll. Leave it to Angela to get anal about double dipping and the like. It wasn't like she could get sick that easily. Well she could get sick since her body was human but she was hardy and she didn't get sick that often. Sighing he looked for a spoon and spooned out some peanut butter onto the plastic plate that Angela had acquired when Hibah started eating solid foods. He put the plate on the counter and then helped Hibah onto the stool. Making sure that she was on the stoll and not going to fall off, he said, "There. That better?"

Hibah looked at the plate of apple slices and peanut butter. She put Boomer on the counter while she looked at the plate. She beamed and looked up at Dean and said, "All better," and she picked up a slice and dipped it into the peanut butter and took a bite. "It's good."

Dean took a slice that he had set aside and took a bite. It was a good apple. He had to admit that Angela knew how to pick them. Yeah he was eating rabbit food so sue him. He agreed, "It is good."

"Amitz want Nutter butter?"

Dean wasn't one to eat apples with peanut butter. He did like caramel apples and the one that Angela made with the Dutch apple crumb coating it was like eating his beloved apple pie. It was a guilty pleasure that he could say that he rather missed at this point. He was about to say that he didn't want peanut butter but he caught a whiff of Hibah's puppy eyes and in the end he couldn't resist. "Alright. I'll try it."

He dipped a fresh slice into the peanut butter and popped it into his mouth. It was pretty good but it wasn't like his caramel apples or his pie. Hibah was watching him and asked, "Tastes good?"

"Yeah it does," Dean admitted.

Hibah nodded and had another slice. She watched Dean as he ate from the pile he made for himself. She could see that he was trying to hide his worry. That was good in her mind because he loved Abba and Ima. She said, "Ima and Abba are okay. Abba will keep Ima safe and furry people will keep them safe."

Dean found himself believing the kid. He may not understand how she was able to do what she did but the childlike faith was rather addicting. Maybe he should take a leaf out of her book and have a little faith too. After all Sam knew about wilderness survival and not doubt Angela did too. They would be okay up there and if these furry people were things that were friendlies, then there was nothing to worry about. So he picked up another slice and started eating. He then began to talk to Hibah about nothing in particular. Mostly it was about what she had learned in terms of reading and writing.

Hibah indulged by reciting the rhymes and poems she had learned. She also told about the stories the stars told and even the story that Sam had told her. It continued as they finished their apples and Hibah asked to be read to again.

* * *

Sam looked over at the guy that initially started this mess in the first place. He also watched as Angela peered at the guy's leg doing that touchy feely thing she did to determine the extent of injury. Even though this guy caused trouble for them by actually going after the thing and bringing up a non-experienced hunter along, she still was going to help him. Most people would leave him to sink or swim but Sam knew that wasn't her and as he had admitted a long time ago, it was enough to put anybody to shame.

"Broken leg."

"I could've told ya that. Damn wendigo jumped me."

Angela made a slight shake of her head as she scuttled on the ground. Her ankle was not up to anything and after further pestering she admitted to Sam that she thought it might be fractured. She cut him off, warning him not to make a scene but realized that wasn't his intention. She replied to Larry, "That would do it. You're lucky the yeti found you."

"The what?"

Sam repeated the answered, "Yeti. Large furry creatures. Considered the guides to lost travelers in the mountains. Otherwise known as the abominable snowmen."

"Thank you Mr. NatGeo."

Sam rolled his eyes as he broke a couple of sticks to make a splint for Larry's leg like Angela had asked. "At least I know what I'm up against instead of going up there blind and with the wrong weapon. Not to mention taking up a civilian."

"I made a mistake. Sue me," Larry retorted. He looked at Angela who was rolling up her sweater sleeves. "What are you doing?"

"Broken leg. It has to be set." Angela finished rolling up her sleeves. She had washed the blood off with some water that Sam had made from clean snow and the fire that was burning comfortably. She looked at Larry and said, "Don't worry, I've done this before."

"It's fine."

"Yeah if you want it to heal crooked and be a cripple," Angela replied in a no nonsense tone. She gave a firm look at Larry. "As I've said, I've done this before and I'm quick."

"How qui—Ow!"

Angela had grasped the leg and set it so quickly that it barely registered until Larry felt it. She didn't need leverage since her upper body strength more than compensated. She slowly released the leg and said, "That quick."

From there it was a short order to clean up the area and put a splint on the leg. Larry was content to sleep after that and that was fine with Sam. He was still peeved that stupidity had gotten him and Angela in this situation and she was hurt because of it. He was sitting by the fire stewing and chewing on a piece of deer meat that he had been cooking.

"It was an honest mistake you know."

Sam turned a slight gimlet eye in Angela's direction as she made herself comfortable beside him. "Even you don't make them as stupid as that."

Angela chuckled at that as she leaned on Sam's shoulder. "You didn't see me when I was a teenager and no when we were shrunken into kids doesn't count. I had a couple of elaborate schemes and some were dangerous. I didn't realize it until later."

"Angie the guy is an adult and an unexperienced hunter. He could've killed somebody and that Don guy is…"

"He'll be fine," Angela replied. She stared at the flames, mesmerized by the glow. She remembered a couple of the times she was out camping like this before cars, trains and planes came into existence. "Healer mojo works on many levels… even protecting memories."

"Did you make him forget?"

Angela sighed as she replied, "No. Just sort of like a wall. Folks will mistake it for traumatic amnesia. It is a kindness and will last his natural lifespan."

"You would do that?"

"Like I once said, I've seen things, and done things, that people shouldn't have to see or do. If I can take it away, I will and besides, he has already seen enough with his time put in Afghanistan. I… saw a couple of things. He will have a tough time dealing with that but he is lucky his fiancé is with him." Angela paused to look at the fire a moment deep in thought. "It takes a special someone who had never experienced that to want to stay there and be there for them. I think that is true courage and something I think most people are capable of."

Sam listened to what she said, not at all put out by the fact that she was leaning against him. It was comfortable and not stifling. That was very much like her and probably she would have debated with herself the whole time she was doing it but she would have made sure the job was done. "You thought about this haven't you?"

"Every damn time," Angela replied with a slight chuckle. She could pick up the sounds of the storm growing worse outside. "Even when I was a bitch I thought about it."

"I thought you were an Ice Queen," Sam teased gently.

"Aren't they the same?"

Sam realized she wasn't teasing or joking. "No," he replied. "I admit that when we met, you hardly inspired warm feelings but the way you took care of things… it was not what was described about you. You're a good person Angie."

Angela gave a slight hum and smiled gently. Sam was always the one telling her that and he meant it every time. The honesty and sincerity with her was… soothing. She had been lied to and tricked and manipulated and she knew the feeling. "You're not so bad yourself even when you're a big baby about a paper cut," she replied teasing him.

Sam turned to look at her and gave a halfhearted scowl. She wasn't that far from the truth which was rather pathetic. They had seen the blood and guts when in action but autopsies still made him and Dean squeamish. He knew that her comment was meant as a thank you even though there were times she had actually said those words. His scowl turned into a chuckle and he looked up at the ceiling of the cave and then at the yetis. "So I guess all is good?"

"We were always good," Angela replied honestly. "Just the surprises need an explanation every now and then."

That was a relief to Sam even though he wasn't completely reassured. He knew because Angela did seem distant at times with him but with Dean she was more open. Maybe he was looking at the particulars a little too closely and by questioning things, he might end up breaking whatever it was they had. He had to admit that she was complicated in her own way but it was her and Sam found that he would rather she be as who she was than try to be someone she wasn't. She made her relationships the way she wanted and they were tailored to the individual. "I am sorry… about how I asked earlier."

Angela knew that he had to get that off his chest. "I know. It was just… surprising and different." She vaguely recalled what Azazel tormented Dean about since he brought Sam back. Even she had said once maybe that what was dead should stay dead but that was because she was the example in that whole spiel. The way how Sam spoke to her when he asked, she got the feeling that it might be something to come since she got that eerie feeling she would get when the future was calling.

She never mentioned it but sometimes her dreams were predictions. Mostly they were of her boys but it was dark. She would see Dean but he wasn't Dean and Sam… that was scary. She had no idea what to make of it since they weren't coherent and assumed that her worries about what the immediate concerns were clouded what she was supposed to see. Also it didn't help that Hibah was starting to see into hearts and souls as well as minds. It was why she made it a strict rule to not do that unless Hibah asked.

It was one more thing to add to the list and just made things seem heavier. Knowing that Sam was probably wondering about what she said, she added, "Don't worry about it. We all have our moments of temper and even I've gotten better than walking away."

Sam accepted that. He had to since it was going to take a lifetime before anyone could figure out what she meant by the things she said. Yet he knew that she didn't say anything unless it was very important or from her heart. "I'll drink to that," he replied.

Angela smiled as she leaned against Sam. He was comfortably warm. It was warm enough for her to feel drowsy and go to sleep. And here she was thinking she was the one with above average body heat. Humming she said, "Don't need to. This is cozy enough which is surprising. Did you run a marathon lately?"

"No," Sam chortled at the change of question. "It's cozy because you're like a hot water bottle."

Angela snorted as she sat up and gave a playful punch to Sam's shoulder. "Please."

Sam laughed and it just seemed to make her angrier and she attempted to punch him again. This time he caught her hand. "Come on Angie."

"Getting pretty quick there Sam. And I wasn't even trying."

"You are unbelievable."

"So you said the first day."

They shared a laugh and the tension that had been slowly falling away, spilled off. They were on good footing as they always had been… just without the extra stuff. Sam felt better that night than the last two weeks. It was short lived though when Angela's attention was diverted to the pair of yetis. "What?"

Angela stood up to get a better look. She had heard the low moans and the growls. They were not the usual that had occurred when they were brought there. She hopped and hobbled towards the pair followed by Sam. She took a moment to assess the situation and came to a startling conclusion. "Um… maybe you could get my stuff Sam."

"Why?"

"Because momma is having trouble." She made a slight face and a nod at Sam.

Sam took a moment to process what she just said. He looked at the scene and replied, "You're kidding me right?"

"Nope."

* * *

**A/N:** Stuck in a storm and it looks like trouble may be brewing. What next? Find out on the conclusion of Solstice Beginnings...


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The male looked at the pair with a wary eye but let them through. Angela was relieved that alpha dominance wasn't going to be an issue here. It would just not be good. She hopped over to where the female was lying on a pile of hair and she didn't look too good at all. It was automatic for her to go near the head and start petting her and gently rubbing her ears. "It's okay," she murmured.

The female gave a low moan. Angela looked and now could make out the slight bulge near the abdomen. She had no idea whether to make this out as coincidence or not. _Oh boy. How long has it been since I actually played midwife?_

She checked the abdomen, not quite sure what she was looking for. How could she? She was used to the farm animal variety and maybe she delivered a few human babies. She pressed her hands on the abdomen while murmuring to soothe the mother trying to ascertain… forget it. It was guesswork but she had to be accurate in that guessing.

Sam watched as Angela rubbed her forehead as if to think before moving towards the abdomen of the female. He had been shocked when Angela revealed that the female was actually giving birth when she hinted at it; as if things couldn't possibly be worse, but then again this was mild if he put the Winchester luck on a scale. He asked, "Um… Do you know what you are doing?"

"Well… I used to help out on a farm and a couple of times played midwife," Angela admitted as she felt with her hands. "Yetis are a different story but the principles are basically the same." She sounded more confident than she felt considering that she was human sized and yetis were huge.

Sam nodded, "Okay. Do you need me to do anything?"

"Knife, sterilize… uh water," Angela rattled off things that probably wouldn't be needed but it made her feel better.

Sam grabbed her back and fished out the knife. He held it to the flames of the fire he had built for them and then carried it over and put it on the cloth she had. He noticed the rubbing alcohol so they were good on that. Now he needed water. He started to go gather clean snow when the male scooped him up and bounded deeper into the cave and dropped him by the edge of a pool.

Sam looked at the male with a raised brow after dusting himself off and said, "So you actually understood that?"

The male gave a low rumble and a nod. He gestured to the pool with his limbs. He peered at Sam with trusting eyes even though he appeared gruff.

Sam took the water bottle they had and tentatively walked over to the pool and dipped it in and filled it up. So the thing understood him and seemed to grasp the situation. It was probably the reason why he hadn't acted violently with them. Angela patched him up and the yeti knew she wasn't out to hurt them and the big plus was that she knew how to pet all animals or anything with fur.

When he was finished he turned to look at the male and said, "Uh… this is all that I have."

The male grunted and disappeared, leaving Sam to wonder if he pissed the thing off. He was back though with something that looked like a bowl but Sam knew right away that he wasn't going to be able to carry it. It was made of rock and too big. The solution was that the male put him once again on his back and dip the bowl in the water.

Sam held on for dear life as the male bounded back to where his mate was. Sam could see that Angela had already managed to clear an area and build a second fire. She was hobbling and hopping and getting pretty good at it. The female was still where she had been and it looked like she was curled into a ball. He slid off the male's back and handed his water bottle while the male set down the stone dish, "I brought this but he seemed to think he could do one better."

Angela looked at the rock tub and raised a brow, "Alright then." She started hobbling towards the mother and murmured, "I think she is having trouble. We might have to… reach…"

Sam didn't need her to spell it out. He got the picture. "You're serious?"

"Sam, something isn't right. We have to help her," Angela hissed. She looked at the ground before looking up, "I can't walk away when someone needs help in the medical variety. I just can't."

Sam wasn't sure about this but he understood where Angela was coming from. He had never seen her leave a stray dog or injured person, animal or thing to fend for themselves. Cerebus was the best example and now that thing was loyal to her emphasizing 'man's best friend'. He sighed, "What do you need me to do?"

Angela gave a slight smile of gratitude at him. She needed help on this. "I need you to do something for me. Just don't be too offended." She started hobbling towards the female and pressed her hands on the abdomen. "I need you to peek and tell me what you see."

Sam felt like she had just asked him to kiss Dean's ass literally. He had bodily fluids, monster blood and other stuff sprayed on him but to actively do something like this… It was different but he couldn't keep her grateful smile out of his head. He made a slight sound and walked towards the rear of the female. He muttered to himself, "This has got to be the worst thing."

It didn't help that he had to move fur out of the way to see. He took his gloves and jacket off and moved the fur aside. He made a slight face since he felt like he was peeking up a girl's skirt.

"What do you see? A head?"

Sam looked at Angela who was trying to feel along the yeti's abdomen. He moved the fur and thought he heard the male chortle. He turned and gave it a slight scowl before resuming what he was doing. He peeked back around and said, "I think I see a butt."

Angela jerked up her head. That was bad. No wonder the mother was having trouble. She did a running hop towards Sam. "Shit. Wrong way."

"What are you going to do?"

Angela was already looking at what was considerably the messiest part of the whole thing and no doubt the most painful. She glanced at the male and said something and he acknowledged it by joining his mate near her head and holding her down. Making a slight face she pushed her hands in slowly and began feeling up the body of the infant.

Sam watched with a look of horrified fascination as he watched as Angela literally stuck her hands up the yeti's ass. It was one thing to hear about it and a completely different thing to see it. She was up to her elbows and frowning as she was trying to move her hands. He heard the mother groan a little. "Yeah I would too if someone stuck their hand up my ass," he muttered to himself.

Angela had managed to tug a little on the baby so she could reach further. She managed to find the problem. The cord was wrapped around the neck. If she pulled the baby out, she risked killing it by strangulation. If she didn't, the baby could die and so could the mate and she didn't want to contemplate on that scenario. There was a third option and she tried to do it since she was pretty much in there.

It was delicate work grasping the cord and unwinding it from the neck. She had to do this without being able to see and she prayed while she was doing it that she wasn't killing the baby or doing anything that would hurt the mother and baby. When she was done, she knew she had to help pull it out. There was a problem though. "Um Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"You need to help me pull the baby out." Angela had been gritting her teeth as she pulled. She looked over at Sam and said, "I don't have good leverage with my ankle. My grip is good but I need some help."

Sam gave a slight nod. He got the picture and didn't grumble. He got behind Angela and wrapped his hands around her waist. He wasn't sure of the type of grip. He knew he had a stronger one if he did something like the Heimlich but he didn't want to hurt her. He compromised by holding her like he would do that but his hand was flat on her abdomen and his other hand was over his wrist. He paused as he readied himself, feeling her abdomen flex as they tensed to pull. "Ready. On three?"

Angela dug her good foot into the ground as she braced herself. She felt Sam's hands on her and tried not to overreact. She checked her grip and nodded, "On three."

Together they counted and on three, Sam pulled on her as she pulled. He could feel her trying to help him in that endeavor but he continued to pull. He fell when the resistance gave way and Angela landed on top of him and she had half a baby yeti on her and him. He could feel the warmth and the goo of the fluids that came with this kind of thing on his arms and it was getting all over him. He wasn't sure how he was going to explain that one.

Angela was chuckling. She managed to get up and make her way to the baby's head and clear the nasals and it let out a mewling sound. It turned into happy laughter as it opened its eyes and looked around. She turned to look at the parents smiling and laughing, indicating that it was all right. She stepped back to let the parents take over still laughing and rubbing her hands together in glee.

Sam managed to get to his feet once the baby was off him. He heard Angela chuckle and it turned into full blown laughter. Not the forced kind or when she was laughing at something funny. It was joyous laughter and he found that it sounded nice. He looked to see the mother already cuddling the baby and the male doing whatever males did. He walked over to where Angela was standing. They were both covered in goo but even he had to smile at the sight. He was more happy at the smile on her face and he felt the faintest of warm feelings that he helped in some way put that smile on her face. "I guess this is one of your successes?"

"Yes it is," Angela agreed and she couldn't be happier. It made her feel like she could charge full on into whatever other crap that was going on in their lives. She looked at her and Sam and realized that they really were a mess. "I guess laundry is in order?"

* * *

"It's late."

"I know. I can hear it," Angela replied as she yawned. She could hear the howling winds as the fire began to die down. She could hear Larry snoring away and he was conked out on the meds she had dug out of her bag. They were in for the night. She just hoped that Dean was handling Hibah and not feeling ready to commit hara-kiri. She gave a slight stretch of her limbs.

Sam looked at her as they sat next together. It was warm in the shed fur but even he could pick up on the cold that occasionally filtered through. Larry had been bundled up so he was fine. He sat next to her to make sure that they didn't catch cold. He heard her yawn. "You should get some sleep."

"So should you." Angela did twists to stretch her back. Their clothes were a little bit cleaner after they used the water the male brought to clean the gunk off. They were stained but not too obvious.

"Trying to boss me again?" Sam teased her with a grin.

"Whatever Sam," Angela replied as she stretched out on the fur. She laid on her right side since it was easier to curl up and conserve warmth that way and her injury was on top. So less jostling was a good thing. "There's no point in staying up. The storm will keep critters in."

Sam watched as she stretched out and curled up. He reached over and pulled her coat closer and put it over her. "Still."

"Don't be macho man," Angela said though closed eyes. "Go to sleep."

Sam threw a look in her direction and shook his head slightly. He muttered, "Yes Mom," and started to move to make a pile to sleep on.

"I don't bite."

"You like your own space," Sam replied looking at her. He rubbed his hands together.

"We've shared floor space before," Angela reminded him.

Sam made a face. He shook his head. Of course she would remember. She may get a little loopy on pain meds but she wasn't forgetful. He could admit that it wasn't that bad but she was like a sister to him. He sighed and was going to finish when the baby yeti came up to him and looked him in the face. Sam looked at him back, not sure what was going on.

It wasn't until the baby nudged Sam in the direction of Angela that he got the reason for the staring. He gave a slightly puzzled stare at it as it continued to bump him more. Giving a slight eye roll he gave in. He felt like he was being asked to touch a strange sort of goo as he scooted behind Angela and laid down. Slowly he put his arm around her waist and pillowed his head under his arm.

He was startled when the baby came up on them and circled around them. He thought it was going to try and do something like kill them in their sleep and tensed. He relaxed though when the baby curled around them and settled to sleep. Sam blinked since the baby was partially on top of them but it wasn't crushing them and he felt warm and drowsy and started to close his eyes. He didn't even see the parents come up and curl beside the baby. The last thing he consciously remembered was that it felt good curled up by Angela. They stayed that way until morning.

* * *

"So we had yetis and a wendigo?" Dean stood looking at his brother and Angela as they were sitting on the couch of their cabin.

They had come back late in the morning a couple of days ago. Well Sam was carrying Angela and they looked like they had been dragged through a pile of dirt and blood and guts. They also had Larry with them and Dean helped to carry him back to the main lodge since he had a broken leg. That didn't matter to Hibah since she came running out to hug them both and she babbled about what she did. It took a bit to calm her down and to have her go play while they talked.

It was Sam that explained that they had been ambushed by the wendigo. He tried to downplay the serious stuff like the fact that they rolled down the hill and almost got clawed by the thing. He couldn't hide the fact that they yeti saved their lives and helped them take down the wendigo. The more he thought about it, he was beginning to think that he might have been crazy since it sounded crazy himself. The look that Dean shot his way said that as much. "Yeah Dean, they were both up there," he said looking a little sheepish.

Angela had her foot propped on the table. She had been right that it had been fractured and badly sprained. It would be good as new in about a week. The upside was that Larry said that they could stay that long free of charge and thanked them for their help. She looked at Dean and said, "I know it sounds crazy but it's true. The wendigo invaded their territory and we sort of helped."

"Their?"

"Male and female pair," Angela answered. She stared at Dean and added, "You hardly ever find a lone yeti. There are few exceptions but mostly it is the pair bond. Always two there are and any offspring."

"So the yeti family is up there? Are they going to be a problem?" Dean wanted to make sure. After all, the last yeti they were supposed to be hunting turned out to be a man eater.

"No. They are generally not man eaters," Angela replied, knowing what he was thinking. "They are guides to lost travelers. They were really quite hospitable." She said it with such a straight face that one couldn't help but laugh.

Dean certainly did a little. Mostly it was at the idea of Sam and Angela up there in the mountains and snuggling. He didn't need them to tell him what happened with that. While he knew it was a practicality, he couldn't help but be amused by it since a picture was worth a thousand words. He managed to reply, "Okay then. So I take it that Larry is going to leave them alone?"

"They won't bother anyone unless they sense they are lost," Angela replied. She winced a little since her foot was falling asleep. "I explained what the yeti normally do. Besides I think it will be a benefit to him since they will more or less protect the place. They are extremely territorial and will defend it to the death."

At that point, Sam noticed that Angela was flexing her foot. He figured it had fallen asleep and was probably achy. The on-site doctor said that she would be fine. The fracture was nothing and there was no reason to have a cast put on. The sprain just needed to be massaged every now and then and commented that she had been lucky. Sam inwardly thought that it was because she was hardy.

Taking the opportunity, he silently lifted her left to place her foot on his lap and started massaging it gently. He sent a glare at Dean that told him not to say anything. At Angela he gave the same look when he put the yam on her ankle which blatantly said 'too bad and deal with it'. It really was no big deal and to him it was a necessity since it seemed to help when she hobbled around the place. It wasn't like she was going to stop since she needed to exercise it a little.

Angela raised a brow as Sam massaged her ankle. The last time he did that she was reading with Hibah and that was yesterday. It was achy and sore then too and it had fallen asleep. She said nothing about it and continued, "So all's well that ends well."

Dean looked at the sight and said, "So we're done here?"

"Tired of the snow already?" Angela gave a slight smile. It was the kind that was designed to be infuriating and teasing.

Sam gave a quiet chuckle. Dean rolled his eyes slightly. It actually wasn't a bad scene seeing the pair of them getting along. They seemed a bit more relaxed than when they went up. Maybe it was a good thing. "I'm worried about my baby."

"Sure," Angela replied.

Dean made a snort. He never could come up with an insult that wasn't derogatory towards her. Yet she always managed to get him. It was the same: she always won. He just waved his hands and walked away. He wasn't about to admit that he kind of liked the idea of staying for a week.

Sam watched his brother leave and looked at Angela who seemed to be like a cat. Her eyes were closed and she had a slight smile on her face. His hands hadn't stopped massaging her ankle and she hadn't complained. "You know that he's going to keep trying to win."

"I know but I'm still ahead," Angela replied as she lounged on the couch. Her thoughts drifted to what happened the night before. In the end the birth of a baby yeti seemed to bolster her over the hill of the slump she was in. She felt like she did when she first held Hibah after her initial surprise and every day she was with the little girl that she had grown to love.

"You're thinking about the baby," Sam pointed out.

"Yeah."

"I don't think I've ever seen you that happy. Except maybe when Hibah was a baby."

"That's the thing about babies. They always do that."

Sam gave a slight hum as he finished massaging her ankle. He didn't put it down but just held it in her hands. "So you feel better?"

"Back to the usual," Angela replied. She noticed that Sam hadn't let go of her foot. She hoped that he wasn't into a foot fetish thing like he was with her hands even though it felt good. It drove her crazy when he did that and it was harmless stuff like fixing her hands when she let them go when she went on a training craze. There were also the funny looks that made her take a step back… It was times like that she went to Dean since she was comfortable with that.

"After the week is done?"

"Mmm," Angela murmured. She was deep in thought. She was recalling how instantly the mama yeti started teaching the baby the basics. She knew that Hibah was fast reaching the age where she could help out on small stuff but she was in two minds about it. To keep her out completely would sort of try to deny her what she was but it would keep her safe. On the other hand, she needed to teach her control and how to defend herself.

It was going to be a bit of a shocker but… "I was thinking maybe have Hibah practice more. Maybe an easy hunt."

Sam looked at her and held her foot. He raised his brow, "You want Hibah to hunt?"

"I said maybe." Angela cracked her eyes open so she could look at Sam. "It was a suggestion. I do want to keep her a child but…" She paused a moment. "I can't stop what is happening naturally even if it is at a fast rate."

"So you want to go heavy duty on the powers and other stuff?"

"I've been teaching her the basics of self-defense," Angela replied. "She's been watching me and imitating me. As for her abilities, they have been manifesting and it's better that I teach her control and set the rules. She can already sense emotions and thoughts. Other stuff will come and will be at full strength by the time she's nine."

Sam thought about it some. Angela was right on some level and she did understand this better than he or Dean. She was the best choice. "Are you sure?"

"No but it's better than getting caught with the pants down."

Sam made a slight sound as he absently picked up her other foot and started massaging it. "This has something to do with the newborn and the yetis, doesn't it?"

"Partially. It's nature and nurture," Angela replied. She was effectively trapped now with Sam massaging her other foot. It wasn't injured but he just picked it up and started on with his magic hands. "Her play has shown her abilities which I think are clairvoyant but I think they are mingled with her memories."

"I know that," Sam replied as he remembered the snowball fight with Hibah. "I guess it wouldn't hurt. She seems to listen to you."

"Don't even try that Sam," Angela replied as she closed her eyes with a slight smile on her face. "You and Dean are in this too."

"Should've known," Sam muttered smiling.

It was quiet for a moment before Angela started humming. She had her eyes closed as she started humming. She paused long enough to mutter, "Winter's visible light is a seeming blight. Yet what has ended a new turn around the bend."

She then began humming the tune she had been playing on the piano. It seemed to be fitting for what was around the bend. Her thoughts drifted to the possibility of what was to come and the chances that were given as she hummed her song, not seeing Sam listening intently and joined by Hibah who came to curl by him.

* * *

**A/N:** All's well that ends well and Angela begins to acknowledge that she can't protect Hibah forever. At least she and Sam are on the same page. Stick around for 3.09 Heart and Soul...


End file.
